RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate cephalometric mandibular dimensions in growing Anatolian Turkish children and to identify the periods of rapid growth for boys and girls. Furthermore, the secondary aim was to compare obtained values with published standards in the literature. METHODS: A total of 528 pretreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs, grouped according to age and sex, were analyzed. Effective mandibular length, ramus height, and corpus lengths were comparatively evaluated within age groups for boys and girls and between sexes for the same age group. Data acquired from this study were compared with American, Canadian, Chinese, and European norms. Growth curves for mandible were constructed for each sex group. RESULTS: Effective mandibular length was almost always significantly longer in boys, except for 9- and 12-year-age groups. Effective mandibular length in girls increased significantly between ages 8 and 10, 10 and 12, and 11 and 13 years, while in boys between ages 8 and 10, 9 and 11, and 13 and 15 years. Turkish girls had significantly shorter effective mandibular lengths than American girls at age 14. No significant difference was found between Turkish and Chinese girls and boys. Turkish girls and boys had significantly shorter corpus lengths from their Norwegian counterparts at age 12. CONCLUSION: Except for 9- and 12-year-age groups, effective mandibular length was almost always significantly longer in boys compared to the girls. It is suggested to use norm values from more recently conducted studies and which are representative of the studied population. Growth curves can be used to predict the approximate mandibular dimensions at a particular age.
RESUMO
Fingerprints are considered to be one of the most reliable methods of identification. Identification of an individual plays a vital part of any medico-legal investigations. Dermatoglyphics is a branch of science that studies epidermal ridges and ridge patterns. Epidermal ridges are polygenic characteristics that form intrauterine 10-18 weeks and considered fully developed by the sixth month of fetal growth. Fingerprints are permanent morphological characteristics and criminal detection based on fingerprints is based on the principle that no two people can have identical fingerprints. Sex determination from fingerprints has been examined in different population. In this study we aimed to study fingerprint ridge density in Turkish population sample of Baskent University students. Fingerprints were obtained from 118 women, 88 men a total of 206 students aged between 17 and 28 years old by means of simple inking method. Fingerprints from all right and left hands fingers were collected in three different area of each. The ridges on fingerprints were counted diagonally on squares measuring 5 mm × 5 mm on radial, ulnar and inferior areas. The fingerprint ridge density in radial, ulnar and inferior areas and between sexes was compared statistically Mann Whitney U test and Friedman test. The ridge density was significantly greater in women in every region studied and in all fingers when compared to men. The fingerprint ridge density in the ulnar and radial areas of the fingerprints was significantly greater than the lower area. Fingerprint ridge density can be used by medico-legal examination for sex identification.
