Correlation of Bite Mark with Bitemporal, Endocanthion, Exocanthion, Bizygomatic, Interalar, Intercommissural, and Bigonial Width from Forensic Perspective: A Clinical Study

Aim: To evaluate and correlate the intercanine distance obtained from the bite mark with the facial landmarks such as bitemporal width (BTW), endocanthion width (ENW), exocanthion width (EXW), bizygomatic width (BZW), interalar width (IAW), intercommissural width (ICW), and bigonial width (BGW).Materials and methods: Bite mark registration was done on 163 subjects satisfying the inclusion criteria and scanned using a three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner to obtain the intercanine distance.A two-dimensional (2D) image of the prominent facial landmarks was captured using a digital camera.The facial landmarks such as BTW, ENW, EXW, BZW, IAW, ICW, and BGW were evaluated from the photographs using photoimaging software and the values were subjected to statistical analysis using Pearson correlation coefficient and independent-sample t-test.Results: A positive correlation was found between the intercanine distance and the facial landmarks.Minimal difference was observed between the male and female populations.A paired t-test showed that the maximum number of individuals had <5% variability for all the facial landmarks except the EXW width. Conclusion:The intercanine distance obtained from a bite mark can be used as a dependable parameter to predict BTW, ENW, EXW, BZW, IAW, ICW, and BGW.Clinical significance: Bite marks found in a crime scene can be used for the prediction of various facial widths.This information can be useful for identification of the perpetrator.