Mean Subpubic Angle of Patients Visiting Department of Radiodiagnosis of a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: The subpubic angle in the pelvis is most often used to estimate the sex with a higher degree of accuracy. Despite the anthropological and obstetric importance of the subpubic angle, only a few studies exist in the Nepalese population. The objective of this study was to determine the mean subpubic angle of the patient visiting the department of radiodiagnosis of tertiary care hospital. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study comprising 332 pelvic digital radiographs of the patients visiting the department of radiodiagnosis of a tertiary care center from March to August, 2021. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee at College of Medical Sciences (Reference number: COMSTH-IRC/2021-62). Convenience sampling method was done. Demographic data like age and sex were noted. In the radiograph, the subpubic angle was measured using the program Digimizer Image Analysis Software. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with mean and standard deviation for continuous data. Results: Among 332 pelvic radiographs studied, the mean subpubic angle was found to be 120.42±22.27° (118.02-122.81 at 95% Confidence Interval). The subpubic angle in females was 137.96±12.47° and that in males was 101.10±12.56°. Conclusions: Our findings are similar to those of other studies, with a minor variation. The subpubic angle was comparatively higher in females than males in the present study. The findings of this study may be of interest to forensic scientists and obstetricians.