Introduction
Anthropologists, medical scientists, and anatomists for over a hundred years have used anthropometric techniques for stature and bone length estimation from unknown body parts and skeletal remains. 1 Thus to solve crimes the relationships between different body dimensions can be utilized in the absence of complete evidence. Forensic scientist use this relationship to calculate stature from mutilated and dismembered body parts in forensic examinations. In the clinical settings for nutrition and health research stature is used very commonly, which is indeed a very important indicator of growth and development. Stature along with body weight used to calculate, body mass index, basal metabolic rate, basal energy expenditure, vital capacity, body composition and estimations of nutrient requirements. 2
The victims of mass disasters and fatal assaults can be identified by stature measurement.3
To determine sex, age, stature and nutritional status of an individual, the hand dimensions, being genetically derived, varies in different races and ethnic groups are used.4
To determine sex, age, stature and nutritional status of an individual. The hand dimensions, being genetically derived varies in different races and ethnic groups are used.5
In case of mass disaster identification of sex, age, race and stature is the most important aspect of investigations.2, 3, 4
Materials and Methods
Styudy settings
Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, town Dahanu, Dist- Palghar, Maharashtra state, India.
Inclusion criteria
Medical students aged between 17 and 21 years in the Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences,town Dahanu, Dist- Palghar, Maharashtra state, India.
Exclusion criteria
Participants with missing limbs, chronic illness, those with poorly defined wrist creases, deformities of vertebral column & limbs, hormonal therapy, contractures history of trauma to hand and foot, with features suggestive of dysmorphic syndromes were excluded from the study. 4, 6
Sample selection
After having the institutional ethics committee permission and after satisfying the inclusion criteria, a simple random sampling method was used to select 102 male and 98 female from study location.
Data collection procedure
After taking informed consent forms from all the enrolled subjects, the data collection procedure was started. Daily measurements were taken specifically between 1-2 pm to avoid diurnal variation. Measurements were scientifically taken for three times and average has been included in the data sheet.
There are many methods to measure hand dimensions, the present study have followed the method adopted by study of Mohite et al.6 in Central Indian population.
Palm length and width measurements
On a plain paper every subject was asked to place his / her hand and the palm was advised to face upwards keeping the fingers close together with the thumb lying comfortably but not tightly against the radial aspect of the hand and index finger (Figure 4, Figure 5).
A lead pencil was used to trace the hand .The tracing proceeded from the radial styloid process to the ulnar styloid process. A line designated as the inter-styloid line was drawn joining the two styloid tips. Hand length (L) was measured using a Vernier Slide Calipers as the distance between the distal crease of wrist to tip of middle finger. 7
Figure 4. Hand Breadth: Measured from 1st metacarpo-phalangeal joint to base of 5th metacarpal in cm using Vernier Caliper. 7
Measurement of hand length (in mm) with a sliding caliper. The Stylion radiale, i.e. the tip of the styloid process of the radius and the Daktylion, i.e. the tip of the middle finger served as anthropological landmarks.
Length
Measured from the tip of the longest finger to the crease under the palm. Breadth: measured across the widest area where the fingers join the palm. Circumference: measured around the palm of your dominant hand, just below the knuckles, excluding the thumb.
The child's shoes and any hats or hair ornaments are removed. The child faces away from the wall with the heels together and the back as straight as possible. The head, shoulders, buttocks, and heels should be in contact with the vertical surface. With the child looking straight ahead, the head projection is placed at the crown of the head. The child steps away from the wall, and the height measurement is recorded to the nearest 0.1 cm.
Height
Measured to the nearest centimeters (cm) using a Stadiometer with subject standing erect on a horizontal resting plane bare footed having the palms of the hands turned inward and the finger pointing downwards (Figure 6). The height was measured from the sole of the feet to the vertex of the head as recommended by International Biological Program.
Data collection tools
Vernier slide calipers, Calibrated foot board, Stadiometer, Regular weight machine, Questionnaire for collection of personal details, academic scores, Lead pencils, stationary etc. Data collected were tabulated, graphically represented and statistically analyzed.
Table 1
Descriptive statistics - Boys
Table 2
Descriptive statistics - Girls
Result
Table 1 and Table 2 shows that mean Heights Palm length and their standard deviation value. In the study it was found that mean height of 101 males was 172.17 with standard deviation of 6.022 and mean height of 98 female is 1509.43 with standard deviation of 7.061.the mean right hand length of female was 16.69 with standard deviation of 1.1 07 and that of males was 18.698 with standard deviation of 0.8399.the mean Palm length of males was 10.663 which standard deviation of 0.593 and that of females was 9.3 t with standard deviation of 1.306 the mean Palm which of males was 10.1 to 9 .33 with standard deviation of 0.7637 and that of females is 9.13 with standard deviation of 8.188.
Chart 123 shows relation between Palm length and height Palm width and height hand length with height in males.
Chart 456 shows relation between pamland Palm with Palm hand length with height in girls we can observe that stretcher increase with increase in Palm land Palm weight and hand length in all charts this established is a linear correlation between height and Palm length Palm with and hand length.
Disscussion
Prediction of the stature of any person is a crucial aspect of forensic examination and anthropological studies.8 Teacher provides important evidence in forensic investigation process of the establishment of personal identification.9 Anthropologist have always been a particulars interest to assess the stature of an individual from different elements of body and. However different parts of body and stature differ between human population.10, 11 From India Krishna predicted stretcher from cephalo facial dimensions in North Indian population.7 Rastogi also estimated stature from hand anthropometry of North and South Indian. 12 In present study total 199 subjects were studied for estimation of stature from hand length in both the sexes. It's odd that mean value for hand parameters in males were larger then that of female with statistically significant difference. There was no statistically significant difference in bilateral hand parameters in both males and females subject with supported by the studies 13 from the results of the present study it when be concluded that the hand dimensions can be successfully used for estimating stretcher of adult aged between 18 to 25 in western Maharashtra in forensic practice by enforcement Agencies and forensic scientist the present study has provided the regression equations from hen dimension that can be used for estimating stretcher of Western Maharashtra population in Maharashtra India this equation should not be used for other Indian population groups.
Conclusion
There exists a significant and positive correlation between palm length, palm width , hand length and strature between both the sexes indicating strong and reliable relationship between the four parameters. Regression equation for strature estimationfrom hand length were formulated and checked for their accuracy by comparimg the estimated strature and the actual strature. The results indicate that hand length,palm length and palm width provides an acurate and reliable means in reconstructing the strature.
