Correlation of Length of Femur With Its Proximal Fragments- A Morphometric Study

Abstract

BACKGROUNDThe stature of an individual is used to establish the identity of a person medicolegally. The stature is calculated from the length of long bones. This study is an effort to derive regression equations for the reconstruction of length of femur from its fragments. MATERIALS AND METHODSThis is a descriptive study using hundred and twenty-one dry femurs from Department of Anatomy, Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. Length of femur and the dimensions of its proximal segments were measured using osteometric board and Vernier callipers respectively. RESULTSAll the five parameters of the proximal segment show significant relation with length of femur (p value < 0.001) of which intertrochanteric distance (EF) shows maximum correlation. Regression equations for estimating femoral length from the length of proximal fragments were derived by linear regression analysis. CONCLUSIONRegression equations derived in this study are helpful to estimate the stature in medicolegal investigations and in anthropometry. BACKGROUNDThe stature of an individual is used to establish the identity of a person medicolegally. The stature is calculated from the length of long bones. Length of long bones of lower limb particularly of femur and tibia has a direct correlation to the height of an individual. Damage to long bones is common and in such cases reconstruction of height of the body is very difficult. For the identification of missing persons projection of stature from bones plays an important role. Fragments of long bones are usually the only medicolegal evidence available after post-mortem gnawing by wild animals, mutilation and injuries. The femoral length and stature of individuals are determined from fragments of the upper end of femur, shaft and distal end of the femur.