Stature estimation from anthropometric measurement of hand and forearm length of Gujarati population

Personal identification of a person or dead body is an important element in any medico-legal investigation, as it helps in connecting the criminal to the crime. The establishment of identity is essential in Forensic Medicine in the case of an unknown individual, incomplete skeletal remains, and decomposing bodies. Stature estimation is one of the most important anatomical parameters in personal identification. The present study aimed to derive regression equations to estimate Stature from the Hand Length and breadth and Forearm Length of the Gujarati Population. The cross-sectional study is based on the subject consisting of 100 males and 100 females from the Gujarati population living in Gujarat aged between 20–30 years. Six anthropometric measurements; Hand length, Hand breadth, and Forearm length taken on the Right side and left side of each subject were included in the study. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS computer software and developed population-specific Linear regression equations to estimate Stature from Anthropometric measurements of the Hand. Linear regression equation derived for forearm length has been found to be more specific for stature estimation than the equations derived for hand length and Hand breadth. There is a Positive Correlation exists between Anthropometric measurements of Hand and Stature. Correlation coefficient (R) values are found to be higher in the pooled sample (0.006 - 0.828) when compared with the males (0.154 - 0.698) and the females (0.065 - 0.604). The regression formulae derived from the study can be used to estimate Stature from the Hand Anthropometric measurements of Right Forearm length.