1Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Guwahati, Assam, India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Army College of Medical Sciences, Delhi
3Junior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
4Senior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
5Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
6Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
*Corresponding Author: Dr. Abhishek Yadav, Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India, Email Id: drayad_in@yahoo.com Contact : +919818052523
Online published on 24 September, 2025.
The estimation of stature from the skeletal remains is a challenging aspect to any forensic anthropologist/pathologist. The exact stature from the particular bone is difficult to be measured, however, a specific stature range could be given based on anthropometric measurements. The post mortem computed tomography (PMCT) can be considered as an artificial intelligence tool which gives an exact measurement of the bone to be studies. Hence, the present study assessed the correlation between the stature and various PMCT based sternum measurements and clavicle length (both sides) in order to develop population–specific regression equations in a contemporary Northern Indian population.
A total of 500 samples (333 males and 167 females) were randomly collected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Four linear anthropometric measurements of the sternum and clavicle measurements from either side were measured using the 3D volume rendered technique by an electronic cursor in PMCT. Each anthropometric measurement showed a significant difference between males and females (p-value <0.05). Regression analysis was applied to match the taken measurements against stature.
The accuracy to predict stature ranged from 4.42 to 5.22cm for males and from 4.17 to 5.56cm for females, respectively. Total sternal length were better predictors of stature in both sex. The correlation coefficient between stature and the clavicle length on both sides remained same among males and females.
The author concluded the study by developing a better predictive model to estimate stature from sternum and clavicle in the contemporary Northern Indian population using the PMCT measurement technique.
Forensic Anthropology, North Indian Population, Sternal Measurements, Clavicle, Regression Analysis, Post Mortem Computed Tomography
