Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine (IAFM) - Official website of IAFM

J Indian Acad Forensic Med. Jan- March 2012, Vol. 34, No. 1 ISSN 0971-0973
Original Research Paper
Determination of Sex by Sciatic Notch/Acetabular Ratio
(Kelley’s Index) in Indian Bengali Skeletal Remains
*Partha Pratim Mukhopadhyay
Abstract
Kelley used the sciatic notch is to acetabular ratio as the osteometric method to differentiate
between male and female hipbones. The present study was designed to examine the applicability of this
index (sciatic notch /acetabular height ratio) and the rule of thumb (of Kelley) in Indian Bengali skeletal
remains. A preliminary attempt was made to derive a sectioning point and propose a new “rule of thumb”
approach for determining sex from skeletal remains.
The study showed that bones with sciatic notch /acetabular height index equal or greater than .93
(or 93 when expressed as a percentage) was definitely female and those with values less than .93 were
male. The results of applying this new rule on the present series of Indian Bengali hipbones indicate that
93.3 % of the total sample could be correctly classified in to the proper sex. Of those 92.8% of the males
and 93.75% of the females were correctly classified by the new rule. The present new rule of thumb
approach is a valid, effective, reliable, population specific and easy method to differentiate between male
and female pelvis in Indian Bengali skeletal remains
Key Words: Forensic anthropology, sex determination, hipbone, Kelley’s index, Indian Bengali
Introduction:
Sexual dimorphism of the human
hipbone has been extensively researched,
reviewed and published in forensic as well as
anthropological literature. [1] Earlier works on
sexing of the innominate were based on
morphological features. [2] Subsequently
researchers adopted osteometric methods to
quantitatively differentiate between male and
female hipbones. Primarily those objective
methods were based on (a) osteometry (b)
derivation of indices or ratios (c) linear
discriminate function analysis. All of these
methods in essence were population specific. [3,
4]
The indices /ratios were effectively used
to determine sex of skeletal remains only when
they belonged to one major racial group. [5] In
1979, Kelley [6] used the sciatic notch is to
acetabular index to differentiate between male
and female hipbones. It was proposed to
overcome the limitations posed by the racial
difference in osteometry.
Corresponding Author:
*Professor and Head
Department of Forensic & State Medicine
Calcutta National Medical College
Kolkata –14, West Bengal
E-mail: drpartha99md@gmail.com
27
Kelley while working on an American
sample showed that 90% of the adult skeletal
remains could be correctly classified in the
proper sex. Kelley suggested a useful “rule of
thumb” approach whereby innominate with an
index of more than 88 were classified as female
and those 86 or less as male.
Kelley’s index (rule of thumb approach)
however had low discriminatory capacity for both
English and Dutch sample. [7] The investigators
showed that the index was an efficient indicator
of male pelvis but it proved little better than
chance at correctly determining sex in the
female pelvis.
The present study was designed to
examine the applicability of the index (sciatic
notch /acetabular height ratio) and its rule of
thumb (of Kelley) in Indian Bengali skeletal
remains. Also a preliminary attempt was made
to derive a sectioning point and propose a new
“rule of thumb” approach for determining sex
from skeletal remains (hip bone) in Indian
Bengali population.
Materials and Methods:
A study was conducted at the
department of Forensic Medicine, Calcutta
National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal,
India. The sample comprised of 30 adult fully
ossified innominate bones from the museum
collection of the department. The bones with
documented sex belonged to the population of