Radiologic Evaluation of the Relationship of the Femoral Head Diameter to the Intertrocanteric Line Diameter in Adults Resident in South-South, Nigeria

Understanding skeletal relationship in the human body are essential for clinical diagnosis, design of prostheses and biological profiling in forensics. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the femoral head diameter (FHD) and the intertrochanteric line diameter (ILD) of adult Nigerians in South-South Nigeria, using radiologic approach. A total of 250 (125 males and 125 females) normal antero-posterior (AP) X-ray films of the pelvis were used. The average value of FHD for the right and left sides were 5.52 ± 0.02 and 5.56 ± 0.02 for males and 4.98 ±0.02 and 4.98 ± 0.28 for females respectively. While the ILD had 8.56 ±0.04 and 8.60±0.04 for males and 7.67±0.06 and 7.65±0.06 for females. Test for bilaterism showed no significant difference (p?0.05). Both the FHD and ILD were significantly higher in males compared to females (p<0.05). The correlation between FHD and ILD for both males and females were positive and significant. Regression model for the estimation of FHD and ILD has also been formulated. There is sexual dimorphism in FHD and ILD and the anthropometric relationship between these parameters have been well established. Key words: femoral head diameter (FHD), intertrochanteric line diameter (ILD), sexual dimorphism and correlation

Key Words: Skeletal Relationship, femoral, intertrochanteric