Evaluation of the relationship between anthropometric measurements of thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, sex and stature: an autopsy study

A. K. Dereli, K. Acar, E. Kutlu, B. Sahin

Abstract: Background/Aim. Cartilage structures, such as the thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage, which are readily accessible and easy to remove from the surrounding soft tissues, can be useful in the identification of a dismembered corpse. The present study investigates the relationship between anthropologic measurements of the thyroid and cricoid cartilages and sex and stature measurements. Methods. Included in the study were the thyroid and cricoid cartilages of 65 males and 26 females aged 18 years and above that underwent a medicolegal autopsy. The stature, anterior thyroid height, length of the thyroid lamina, thyroid angle, height of the cricoid arch and height of the cricoid lamina were measured in all cases. Results. With the exception of thyroid angle, all measurements in the thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage were greater in males than in females (p< 0.001). The thyroid angle was greater in females (93.88º ± 10.39) than in males (76.08º ± 10.34) (p< 0.001). A discriminant function analysis showed that the measured parameters of the thyroid cartilage yielded an accuracy of 97.8%, those measured in the cricoid cartilage yielded an accuracy of 95.6%, and the model comprising all parameters measured in the thyroid and cricoid cartilages yielded an accuracy of 100% in sex estimation. For all cases, there was a moderate positive correlation between stature and all parameters except thyroid angle. Conclusion. The results of the present study show that anthropometric measurements of the thyroid and cricoid cartilage can be useful in sex estimation.
Keywords: Sex, stature, thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, anthropometry, forensic anthropology.