Stature estimation from long bone lengths in a Thai population

The estimation of stature is a very important step in developing a biological profile for forensic identification. However, little previous work has been done on stature estimation among modern Thai people, despite a growing number of forensic cases in Thailand in recent years. The current study was carried out on a sample of 200 skeletons from a northern Thai population (132 males and 68 females), ranging in age from 19 to 94 years. The maximum lengths of six long bones (humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia and fibula) were measured and stature reconstruction formulae generated using linear regression. These equations were then tested on a holdout sample of 15 females and 15 males. Results reveal that the three lower limb bones are the most accurate estimators of stature among the males, with the fibula equation producing the lowest standard error of the estimate (SE=4.89cm), followed by the femur (SE=5.06cm). Results for females were mixed. The femur produced the lowest standard error among the females (SE=5.21cm), followed by the radius (SE=5.63cm). However, when tested against the holdout sample (n=30), the femur equations were considerably more accurate, with a mean absolute error of 3.5cm and a median absolute error of 2.4cm. Females exhibited a higher standard error of the estimate than reported in many previous studies. This higher error may be the result of a recent secular trend in stature affecting the females of our sample somewhat more than the males.     

Stature estimation from radiographically determined long bone length in a Spanish population sample

The estimation of stature from of a variety of bones is an important aspect of forensic work. In order to obtain reliable results, it is important to have comparative data obtained from the same population group as the skeletal remains. However, lack of up to date information on the population groups of Southern Europe makes the estimation of stature from bones in this area subject to possible error. In this study, the stature of 104 healthy adults from Spain was measured, and an anteroposterior teleradiograph of the right lower and the right upper limb of every subject in the study was made in order to measure the lengths of the femur, tibia, fibula, humerus, cubitus and ulna. Pearson's regression formulae were obtained for both limbs. In males, we found the femur to be the most accurate predictor of stature (R = 0.851), whereas in females best results were obtained with the tibia (R = 0.876).     

Stature estimation from tibia percutaneous length: New equations derived from a Mediterranean population

Stature is a fundamental anthropometric character to trace the biological profile of a person. In some cases, when dismembered or mutilated bodies are discovered in a forensic context, it is essential to estimate stature from single districts of the body. Nevertheless, to date and worldwide, there are only few population-specific studies on stature estimation from leg length and none of them concerns modern populations in southern Europe. We attempted to fill this gap, focusing on the estimation of stature from the length of the tibia in a Mediterranean population (Italians). We carried out the current study on a sample of 374 Italian university students of both sexes (age range: 19.9–34.4). Both, actual stature and percutaneous length of tibia were measured and new equations were developed for stature estimation. We tested separate regression equations for each sex, as well as an equation for remains, whose sex is unknown. To assess their reliability, the equations were tested on a holdout sample of 30 individuals from the same population. Moreover, results of new specific linear regression equations were compared to others from the literature. We demonstrated that the newly proposed formulae (for males and combined sexes) and the ones by Olivier (for females) provided the most reliable estimations of stature for southern Europeans.     

An Analysis of Hounsfield Unit Values and Volumetrics from Computerized Tomography of the Proximal Femur for Sex and Age Estimation

Sex and age are two elements in the establishment of a biological profile for forensic identification. While the pelvic bones are the most ideal structures for sex estimation, the condition of a body is not always ideal due to the nature of death, such as in mass disasters, or postmortem processes. This study utilized CT scans and resultant 3D models of 100 male and 100 female adults of known ages ranging from 18 to 98 years old to collect volumetric and Hounsfield unit measurements of the proximal femur. Equations were created to establish logistic regression models for sex estimation and linear regression models for age estimation. The resultant sex estimation method had an accuracy of 93.5% and utilized the volume of the proximal femur. This study provides three linear regression models for age with an accuracy range of 86%–92% ±12 years. As imaging technologies are increasingly adopted for forensic purposes, the power of 3D data will provide the opportunity for more quantitative and reproducible analyses. The proposed method for sex and age estimation provides a reliable tool that can be utilized in both day-to-day casework and disaster victim identification.     

Stature estimation of 3-10-year-old children from long bone lengths

Estimation of stature in adult forensic cases with available long bones of the limbs is routine, but such estimation is less common in subadult cases. Long bones from subadult cases are often used to estimate age, but in some instances stature may be helpful or even critical for identification. Few published regression equations exist for consultation in such cases. Data from the longitudinal growth study conducted by the Child Research Council in Denver in the mid-1900s are utilized to produce dual-sex and single-sex regression equations for the six long bones of the limbs (humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula) and for the combined femur+tibia length. All measurements are from radiographs and are of diaphyseal length. Examples show that similar results can be obtained using a two-step process of "ballpark" estimation from published tables of the Denver data, but these new regressions allow a one-step standard error estimate for the means. Regressions are further compared with those previously published by Finnish researchers, which are generally broadly comparable. More routine stature estimation in subadult cases is encouraged both as an aid to possible identification and as a test of the available regression equations.     

Sexing and stature estimation criteria for Balkan populations

Abstract:  Two standard measurements, maximum femur length and head diameter, were collected by International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) anthropologists. Only Kosovans had both femur dimensions for both sexes. Antemortem stature data were available only for Kosovan and Croatian males. Despite these limitations, the data offer the opportunity to examine ethnic variation and to present sex and stature estimation criteria for these groups. Additional data from Croatians and from American Whites were used for comparison in certain parts of the analysis. Femur variation was considerable. Kosovans can be characterized as short and robust, Bosnians as tall and less robust, and Croatians are tall and gracile, resembling American Whites more than the other groups. Some limited antemortem data on stature was also available, allowing stature estimation equations to be estimated for Croatians and Kosovans. Antemortem stature estimates were obtained from interviews with relatives and are shown to overestimate actual stature. We argue that equations predicting height obtained from relatives is the most realistic in this case because that is the height to which an estimate obtained from bone lengths will be compared. Kosovans were also shown to have experienced slight secular increase in femur length over the past 70 years.     

Stature estimation from fragmentary femora: a revision of the Steele method

The skeletal remains presented to forensic anthropologists are often fragmentary. Previously described methods of estimating stature from segments of long bones have not proved satisfactory because of the difficulty involved in identifying the precise anatomical landmarks by which they are defined. This study represents an assessment of the feasibility of stature estimation from fragmentary femora. A sample of 200 males and females, blacks and whites (total sample = 800), was obtained from the Terry Collection. New regression equations for the estimation of maximum femur length and stature from three well-defined and easy-to-measure segments of the femur are presented. This technique represents an improvement over methods currently in use for estimating stature from femur fragments; the location of the anatomical landmarks and the accuracy of the prediction are enhanced. The applicability of these formulae to a modern forensic sample is addressed with regard to secular trends in stature increase and changes in body segment proportions.     

Stature reconstruction using fragmentary femora in South Africans of European descent

It is well documented that the intact femur has the highest correlation with stature and as such has been widely used in the derivation of regression equations for stature estimation. As intact femur is not always present for analyses in forensic cases, it has become necessary to derive regression equations for the estimation of stature from fragments of this bone. Few studies have presented regression equations for stature estimation from fragments of the femur. Because these equations are population specific, it was the aim of this study to derive similar equations for estimation of stature and maximum length of femur from measurements of the femur of South Africans of European descent. A sample of 50 male and 50 female complete skeletons were obtained from the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons. Total skeletal height for each of the skeletons was calculated using the Fully's method. Six variables were measured on each femur which included the vertical neck diameter, upper breadth of femur, epicondylar breadth, bicondylar breadth, lateral condyle length, and medial condyle length. Regression equations for the estimation of stature are presented. The range of standard error of estimate for these equations (3.71-5.31) was slightly higher than those obtained for intact long bones (2.13-3.79). It is therefore suggested that in the absence of intact femur, regression equations derived from the present study can provide a reliable estimate of adult stature.     

Demographic change and forensic identification: problems in metric identification of Hispanic skeletons

The United States (U.S.) population structure is currently in a state of flux with one of the most profound changes being the increasing number of people referred to as Hispanic. In the U.S., much of the identification criteria for a biological profile are based on American Black and White individuals from anatomical collections. Using metric data from the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank (FDB), this paper will attempt to explore several issues that forensic anthropologists face when confronted with Hispanic remains. These will involve estimation of sex, height, and ancestry, the initial components of a biological profile. Discriminant function analyses indicate that American White criteria provide poor estimations of sex when applied to Hispanics and that ancestry estimation of Hispanic crania is difficult. Additionally, a new linear regression equation is presented that estimates stature for Hispanic individuals, although population specific criteria are still needed for Hispanic individuals from diverse geographical origins.     

Do century-specific equations provide better estimates of stature? A test of the 19-20th century boundary for the stature estimation feature in Fordisc 3.0

A sample (n=28) from the Terry Collection was selected to include only White males who were born and had their entire growth and development period before 1900 to assess the effects year of birth have on accuracy and precision when estimating stature. Using the computer application Fordisc 3.0, stature was estimated using the humerus, radius, femur, and tibia equations developed from White males born in the 19th Century and the 20th Century. The 19th Century White male equations did not consistently provide the most precise and accurate estimates of stature. The 20th Century equations provide results that were as good as or slightly better than the 19th Century equations for the humerus, radius and femur. The 20th Century equations provided notably better results for the tibia. There is a great deal of evidence that there are clear positive secular changes in most of North America in the last 100-125 years, but the division commonly advocated in a forensic context at the year 1900 has no positive effect on accuracy or precision when estimating stature.     

Determination of stature from skeletal and skull measurements by CT scan evaluation

The aim of this article is to find a correlation between height and femur/skull measurements through Computed Tomography (CT) scans and derive regression equations for total skeletal height estimation in the Caucasian population. We selected 200 Caucasian patients from March 2010 to July 2011 who had to perform a CT scan for cancer restaging. The mean age is 64.5 years. Both sexes are represented by the same number of persons. Patients have executed a total body CT scan with contrast; once scan accomplished, we measured height through a digital scales. We analyzed CT scans of each patient, obtaining multiplanar reconstruction in sagittal and coronal planes with 1mm of thickness, and we measured 10 diameters of skull and femur. Then we performed a single and a multiple regression analysis considering the three diameters that better correlated with height. The skeletal diameters with the highest correlation coefficients with stature were femur lengths, length of cranial base (Ba-N), and distance from the posterior extremity of the cranial base to the inferior point of the nasal bone (Ba-NB). Although both femur and skull are skeletal segments used for stature estimation, in our sample femur gave stronger correlation with height than skull. h=35.7+1.48·BaN+2.32·BaNB+2.53·FEM and h=3.06·FEM+72.6 are the formulae that provided the most accurate stature assessment using multiple and single regression analysis respectively.     

Metric determination of sex from the humerus in a Guatemalan forensic sample

The absence of population-specific standards for sex, age and stature estimation for rural Guatemala is problematic for the forensic analysis of skeletal remains recovered from clandestine graves attributed to the recent armed conflict in that country. In order to increase the reliability of the forensic analyses being undertaken in Guatemala, standards for metric determination of sex were developed. Data was collected on several bones; the results for the humerus are presented here. A sample of 118 complete humeri (68 male and 50 female) was studied; maximum length, maximum diameter of the head, circumference at midshaft, maximum diameter at midshaft, minimum diameter at midshaft and epicondylar breadth were measured and subjected to discriminant function analysis. The classification accuracies for the univariate functions range from 76.8% for the maximum diameter at midshaft to 95.5% for the maximum diameter of the head. The classification accuracy for the stepwise procedure was 98.2%.     

Is the length of the sternum reliable for estimating adult stature? A pilot study using fresh sterna and a test of two methods using dry sterna

Stature estimation is one of the four attributes of the biological profile obtained from human skeletal remains. The length of the long bones has been consistently used to estimate stature from regression equations, but these may be useless when dealing with fresh or decomposed mutilated remains. Until recently, there was no consistent assessment of the reliability of measurements of the sternum for stature estimation. The purpose of this paper is to test previously developed regression formulae for stature based on measurements of the dry sternum and to assess the reliability of measurements of the fresh sternum in estimating stature. The formulae developed by Menezes et al. and Singh et al. were applied to a sample of 5 known stature skeletons from the identified human skeletal collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History, in Lisbon, Portugal. Testing of these formulae showed that estimated stature confidence intervals do not allow discrimination between individuals with similar stature. The length of the fresh sternum was measured on a sample of 45 male individuals autopsied at the National Institute of Legal Medicine - North Delegation (Porto, Portugal). Cadaver length was regressed on sternum length and a simple linear regression formula was obtained. The regression model provided a 95% confidence interval of 13.32 cm and a correlation coefficient of only 0.329. Compared to other studies, regression formulae based on the length of the sternum provided considerably larger standard errors than that based on long bone lengths. These results suggest that the length of the sternum has limited forensic value and relatively low reliability in estimating stature from mutilated human skeletal remains, either skeletonized or fresh.     

Long Bone (Humerus,Femur, Tibia) Measuring Procedure in Cadavers

In this work, we present a measuring methodology for long bones of the limbs (humerus, femur, and tibia) of human corpses. Measurements of cadaveric height and long bone lengths were conducted on 72 corpses (20 females and 52 males) from the School of Medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Additionally, these measurements were compared with those taken from dry bones of a subsample of individuals. Our results show marginal differences (TEM% = 0.59) between cadaveric and dry bone measurements, resulting from different osteometric technical procedures. This note outlines the measuring methodology, which will be subsequently used to create regression formulas for stature estimation.     

A Test of Three Methods for Estimating Stature from Immature Skeletal Remains Using Long Bone Lengths*

Abstract: In this study, the accuracy of three methods for stature estimation of children from long bone lengths was investigated. The sample utilized consists of nine identified immature skeletons (seven males and two females) of known cadaver length, aged between 1 and 14 years old. Results show that stature (cadaver length) is consistently underestimated by all three methods (from a minimum of 2.9 cm to a maximum of 19.3 cm). The femur/stature ratio provided the least accurate estimates of stature, and predictions were not significantly improved by the other two methods. Differences between true and estimated stature were also greatest when using the length of lower limb bones. Given that the study sample children grew in less than optimal environmental conditions, compared with the children that contributed to the development of the methods, they are stunted and have proportionally shorter legs. This suggests that stature estimation methods are not universally applicable and that environmental differences within a population (e.g., socioeconomic status differences) or differing levels of modernization and social and economic development between nations are an important source of variation in stature and body proportions of children. The fallibility of stature estimation methods, when they do not consider such variation, can be somewhat minimized if stature is estimated from the length of upper limb bones.     

A Method for Estimating Sex Using Metric Analysis of the Scapula*

Abstract: The most accurate and precise methods for the assessment of age and stature often require knowledge of sex. Thus, being able to correctly identify sex from skeletal remains is critical in the forensic context. The presence of the os coxae or skull can never be guaranteed, making the development of reliable methods of sex estimation using other skeletal elements necessary. Using a 724 individual calibration sample from the Hamann‐Todd collection, this study identifies sexual dimorphism in the human scapula, and presents a new five‐variable discriminant function for sex estimation. The overall accuracy of this method proved to be 95.7% on the cross‐validated calibration sample, 92.5% on an 80 individual test sample from the Hamann‐Todd collection, and 84.4% on a 32 individual test sample from the skeletal collection of the Wichita State University Biological Anthropology Laboratory. Additionally, a slightly less accurate two‐variable model was developed and has cross‐validated accuracy of 91.3%.     

Estimation of stature and determination of sex from radial and ulnar bone lengths in a Turkish corpse sample

Determination of sex and estimation of stature are important aspects of forensic identification of an unknown individual. In the absence of pelvis the sex is assessed from long bones and cranium as they both provide high accuracy in sexing. The present study is an attempt to assess sex and stature from long bones of the forearm using recently deceased forensic cases in Istanbul, Turkey. The sample is composed of 80 males and 47 females with an average age of 36 and 30 years, respectively. Length measurements from the radius and ulna were obtained by exposing the epiphyseal ends of the long bones in a fashion similar to dry long bones. Discriminant function statistics showed a sex determination accuracy as high as 96%. Regression analysis was used in stature estimation from these two bones. Ideally osteological remains are necessary to make standards for osteological identification. These materials are not always easy to obtain and those available seem to be less ideal when they do not represent a current population. Forensic anthropologists therefore should develop techniques that utilize autopsy remains.     

Identification of sex depending on radiological examination of foot and patella

Forensic anthropology involves the building of an antemortem profile of an individual from skeletal remains. This includes sex, race determination, and age and stature estimation. Because most bones that are conventionally used for sex determination are often recovered either in a fragmented or incomplete state, it has become necessary to use denser bones that are often recovered intact, eg, the patella, calcaneus, and talus. The present work was performed to investigate the possibility of estimation of sex from some radiologic measurements among a known cross-section of Egyptian population. In this study lateral and anteroposterior radiographs of the right foot and knee were made on 160 living unfractured and nonpathologic individuals comprising 80 males and 80 females aged 25 to 65 years referred to the Radiology Department of Assiut University Hospital. Two measurements on right patella (maximum height and maximum width) and 2 measurements of metatarsal bones (length and midshaft diameter), were used to determine sex by univariate and multivariate discriminant analysis. Eighty radiographs of foot and patella of individuals not used in the original sample were randomly selected to test the accuracy of this method. The study revealed that significant sex differences were demonstrated based on these measurements taken on metatarsal bones more than on patella. One function associating 2 parameters (length and midshaft) of the third metatarsal bone obtained the highest value of correct sex determination with rate of 100% accuracy. The multivariate function associating length of the first, third, and fifth metatarsal bones and midshaft of first, second, and fifth metatarsal gave 100% accuracy. Test of multivariate function on the independent sample revealed a correct classification of 87.5%.