Total Arm Length, Facial Length and Facial Breadth as Predictors for Stature among Adult Males: A Forensic Anthropology Perspective

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The implication of stature estimation is useful in identification through forensic anthropology especially in cases of dismembered body parts following disasters. Total length of upper arm and facial measurements has long been studied to estimate stature. An attempt is made through this pilot study to see which of the two linear measurements can provide better estimate.

METHOD: All three measurements were taken simultaneously by two authors, blinded to each other’s findings, the average of both measurements were taken as reference data. Only right handed adult males with three ancestral generations residing in Kathmandu valley 16-65 years were taken as subjects to avoid unanticipated variations and attributes.

RESULT: Mean age group was 28.28±10.82. The average height, and total right upper limb length was 161.12±9.35 and 59.84±3.79 for respectively. Uni-variate regression showed that arm length, facial height and facial breadth were significantly associated with height (p value<0.05). Multivariate analysis containing all three variables showed that only total arm length is significantly associated with stature. Regression models using arm length and facial length or facial breadth were also examined where arm length was significant in both the models, while facial length and breadth showed borderline significance.

CONCLUSION: Significant difference in stature was observed in the age groups 32-47 years and >48 years but not in group aged 16-31years subjects. Total length of the dominant arm is found to be a better metric determinant than total facial length or breadth for estimation of stature among male individuals.