Describe the determination of stature from the long bones.

Principles

• Stature is estimated from the long bones, which bear a fairly constant proportion to total height within a population. The relationship is expressed as a regression equation of the form stature = (a × bone length) + b, with a stated standard error
• The lower limb bones give the best estimates, because they contribute more directly to standing height — in descending order of reliability: femur, then tibia, then fibula, then humerus, then radius and ulna
• The femur is the single most reliable bone, and the femur and tibia together are better than either alone
• Equations are population-specific and sex-specific, so INDIAN formulae must be used for Indian remains; applying the classical Trotter and Gleser equations derived from American populations introduces a systematic error of several centimetres. Indian regression formulae have been derived by Pan, Nat and others
• The sex and, ideally, the ancestry must be determined first, since the equation depends on both — which is why stature is estimated last in the sequence of a skeletal examination
• The standard error is typically ±3 to 5 cm, and this margin must be stated with the result

Practical Points and Corrections

• Measure with an osteometric board to the maximum length of the bone, following the standard definition for that bone; casual measurement with a tape introduces error greater than the effect being measured
• A body is longer than the living stature — by about 2 to 2.5 cm — because the intervertebral discs are no longer compressed and the muscles are relaxed. This must be subtracted when the height of a corpse is compared with a recorded living height
• Stature varies through the day, being greatest in the morning and less by 1 to 2 cm in the evening, from disc compression; and it decreases with age from about the fifth decade
• Where only a fragment of a long bone is available, the length of the whole bone can be estimated from measurements between defined landmarks on the fragment, and stature then calculated — with a correspondingly wider margin
• Amputation, deformity, scoliosis, achondroplasia and other skeletal disease invalidate the standard equations, and the finding should be reported rather than a figure produced
• In a mutilated body, the fragments should be assembled in anatomical order and measured, with an allowance made for the missing soft tissue

Medicolegal Importance and Applied Aspects

• Identification of an unknown body or skeleton, as one component of the biological profile alongside sex, age and ancestry
• Estimating the height of an assailant from footprints, from the length of the walking stride, or from the height and direction of an injury — though such estimates are rough and should be given with wide limits
• Identification of a suspect from a description or from closed-circuit television imagery, where photogrammetric estimation of height is used
• State the margin of error every time; a stature given as "168 cm" invites cross-examination, whereas "165 to 172 cm" is defensible and is what the equation actually yields
• Use Indian formulae for Indian remains, and say which formula was used and why; this is a specific and easily made error with a systematic effect
• Subtract 2 to 2.5 cm when comparing the measured length of a body with a height recorded in life, such as on a passport or service record
• Report stature as part of a profile, not alone; height by itself excludes very few people, and its value lies entirely in combination with sex, age and other findings