A comparative study of femoral head diameters and sex differentiation in Nigerians.

The vertical and transverse diameters of the head of 504 paired human femurs (257 males and 247 females) from Maiduguri in the northeastern arid zone of Nigeria were measured. Identification points and demarking points were determined. The mean diameter of the head of the male femur was significantly greater than that of the female (p <0.001). The identification points that were derived from the vertical and transverse diameters of the head of the femur were higher in males than in females. Those that were derived from the vertical diameters of the head of the male femurs were comparable to the values from the southeastern part of Nigeria. Those that were derived from transverse diameters were lower than the corresponding values from southeastern Nigeria. By means of identification points, more male bones were identified. This was due to the fact that the mean head diameter of female femurs fell within the range of diameters that did not permit positive identification of sex. The male demarking points were also higher than the corresponding female values. Similarly, the demarking point identified the sex of a higher percentage of male femurs. The demarking point, in comparison to the identification point, identified the sex of a smaller percentage of femurs. The results showed that diameters of the femoral head as well as the identification and demarking points that are derived from them are of use in sex and regional identification.