Stature Estimation Using Carrea’s Index

Introduction: Identification is the determination of the individuality of a person based on certain physical characteristics that exactly fix the personality. Identifying victims in cases of mass disaster, when limited human remains are present, is quite a challenging task. Usually peripheral extremities of human body are used in estimating stature. In situations where only skull is available, teeth play an important role in personal identification. The present study used Carrea’s index in stature estimation using tooth dimensions.

Aim: To compare the accuracy of Carrea’s method in estimating height of adult human and to evaluate the difference in the accuracy of stature estimation with respect to sides of dentition, gender and different types of dental alignment.

Materials and Methods: The study consisted of a total of200 hemiarches from 100 consenting subjects of the age group 18 to 30 years. For this study, data were collected from undergraduate students and volunteers after taking their consent. Estimation of stature was done using Carrea’s Index.

Results: When Chi square test was used to test statistical significance in estimating stature using Carrea’s index, it was found to be significant with respect to only gender, and not significant with respect to side of hemiarches and type of dentition. The ANOVA of linear regression analysis of height and its predictors (i.e., arch and chord) was tested for statistically significance, chord was found to be more significant than arch.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the Carrea’s index is a reliable method for height estimation in arches with normal and crowded dentition, useful for both sexes, although in our study more accuracy in stature estimation was obtained for female subjects than male, and for both right and left side of the mandibular arch.