Sex Estimation Using Metric Analysis of the Patella Bone in the Medieval Population of Havuzdere (Yalova)

Authors : Selcen İlbey İren, İsmail Özer

Pages : 374-385

Doi:10.48120/oad.1558284

View : 75 | Download : 36

Publication Date : 2025-06-26

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study investigates the reliability of using patella bone measurements for estimating sex in human skeletal remains. A total of 123 adult individuals (49 females and 74 males) from the Havuzdere (Yalova-Türkiye) population, dating back to the Middle Ages, were examined. Three key measurements were taken from the patella bone: maximum height, width, and thickness, resulting in 346 measurements. The data were analyzed using statistical tests in SPSS 23, including the t-test, Wilks’ Lambda test, F-test, and Discriminant Function Analysis. The analysis demonstrated that patella measurements provide reliable accuracy for determining sex. Maximum patella height had the highest accuracy rate at 85.6% (82.2% females and 87.9% males), followed by maximum patella width at 81.4% (78.3% females and 83.6% males). The lowest accuracy was found in maximum patella thickness at 77.9% (83.7% females and 74.0% males). Sex estimation accuracy was higher for females in one measurement and for males in two measurements. When all measurements were evaluated together, the accuracy of correctly distinguishing sex increased. These findings highlight that metric measurements of the patella bone are a reliable method for sex estimation in anthropological, bioarchaeological, and forensic contexts. The study underscores the value of using patella measurements in cases where sex determination from skeletal remains is necessary, contributing to both academic research and practical applications in forensic investigations.
Keywords : Cinsiyet Tahmini, Diskriminant Fonksiyon Analizi, Havuzdere (Yalova), Orta Çağ, Patella.

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