Tibia and Fibula Stature Formulae for Modern Female Populations Based on Digital Radiographic Measurements

Abstract: This study demonstrates the feasibility of creating bone lengths and stature databases of significant size for modern living human populations from digital radiographic archives and medical records. Tibia and fibula lengths were taken from digital radiographic images of 250 women. The images, drawn from the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center’s Radiology Department’s General Electric Picture Archiving and Communication System, were taken between 2003 and 2007. Stature measurements were obtained from medical records on 83 individuals, 50 of which were used to regress stature equations for the tibia and fibula. Bone lengths obtained from radiographic images are almost 3 cm longer than those obtained from skeletalized collections. The formulae produce ranges up to 10 cm lower than current formulae. Accuracy could be improved as methods are developed to correct for the small magnification produced by digital images.