Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mandibular morphometric measurements obtained from panoramic radiographs (PRs) for sex determination in children aged 4-15 years living in the Thrace region of Türkiye. Material and Methods: A total of 210 PRs acquired between 2015 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Participants were divided into 3 age groups (4-7, 8-11, and 12-15 years), each including 35 boys and 35 girls. The following parameters were measured: antegonial angle (AGA), antegonial depth (AGD), gonial angle (GA), ramus length (RL), and bigonial width. Measurements were performed by a single examiner using ImageJ software. AGA, AGD, GA, and RL were measured bilaterally, and the mean of both sides was used for analysis. Data were analyzed using parametric or non-parametric tests and binary logistic regression, and intraobserver reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: No significant difference was observed between sexes in age distribution (p=0.598). In the 4-7 and 8-11 year age groups, univariate comparisons of mandibular measurements showed no statistically significant sex-related differences. In the 8-11 group, AGD showed significant discriminatory value for males (p=0.012). In the 12-15 group, GA and RL exhibited significant sex-related differences (p<0.05). Conclusion: Mandibular morphometric parameters, particularly AGD in the 8-11 age group and GA and RL in the 12-15 age group, may serve as reliable indicators for sex determination in children. Their discriminative potential appears age-dependent, and validation in larger, diverse populations is recommended.
Ramazan Berkay PEKER (2026) studied this question.