Assessment of External Occipital Protuberance Morphometry in CT Scans: Implications for Determining Age and Sex

The study aimed to evaluate the morphological features of the external occipital protuberance (EOP) and skull across different age groups and sexes, focusing on their utility in age and sex determination. Cranial computed tomography images from 1,800 healthy individuals aged 20 to 79 were analyzed. Parameters assessed included EOP height, angle, base diameter, diploic thickness, the distance between the EOP and foramen magnum (FMAG), and the relationship between EOP morphology and cranial shape. The findings revealed that Type II EOP was the most prevalent variant (58 %, n=1,043), while 12 % (n=210) of individuals lacked a prominent EOP. Significant sex-related differences were identified in EOP height, angle, and cranial parameters. A positive correlation was observed between the EOP angle and its distance from the FMAG, particularly in Type III EOP. Multilayer perceptron network analysis highlighted EOP height as a critical factor in sex determination, while regression analysis identified base diameter, FMAG distance, and diploic thickness as significant predictors of both age and sex. This study demonstrated that EOP height, base diameter, FMAG distance, and diploic thickness are valuable parameters for determining age and sex, with potential applications in anthropology and forensic science.