Determination of sex for the 12th thoracic vertebra by morphometry of three-dimensional reconstructed vertebral models.

Thirty-three linear measurements and two ratios were derived from 102 12th thoracic vertebrae of the Digital Korean database at the Catholic Institute for Applied Anatomy. Of 35 linear traits, 23 were sexually dimorphic. We created 23 discriminant function equations that predicted sex with 62.7-85.3% accuracy. The analysis using combinations of two factors gave higher accuracies: most equations with accuracies over 80% included at least one measurement involving the coronal diameter of the vertebral endplate. Using stepwise method of discriminant function analysis, three variables predicted sex with 90.0% accuracy: the coronal diameter of the superior endplate of the vertebral body, the ratio of anterior to middle height of the body, and the length of the left mammillary process and pedicle. Coronal dimensions of the vertebral body represented the major sex difference. These equations will help forensic discrimination of the sex of this vertebra among Koreans.