ESTIMATION OF STATURE FROM HEAD LENGTH & HEAD BREADTH IN CENTRAL INDIAN POPULATION: AN ANTHROPOMETRIC STUDY

Background: Stature is an important parameter in medico-legal examination. It happens many a times when highly decomposed or mutilated bodies or sometime only facial remains of skull are brought for medico-legal examination and this is most common in our region where victims are attacked by wild animals in deep forests which makes difficult to identify deceased. In such medico legal examination stature estimation is important including age, sex, race, etc. Each race requires its own formula for stature estimation because racial and ethnic variations exist in population of different geographical regions. The climate and dietary habits of the people of different regions of India are variable. Hence opinions based on the result of studies done in one population cannot be entirely applicable to other population. Considering this scenario the aim of the present study is to estimate the stature from skull anthropometry in this region. Aims: Present study was undertaken to determine stature from maxillo-facial anthropometry in central Indian region using head length and head breadth. Methods: The study was conducted on 470 young and healthy subjects, 260 males and 210 females of 18 to 24 years. Two skull measurements namely head length and head breadth were taken by following standards anthropometric methods and technique. Results: Regression equation for stature of males using head length is 122.32 + 2.63 × HL and using head breadth is 162.63 + 0.57 × HB. The regression equation for stature in females using head length and breadth are 133.76 + 1.49 × HL and 123.9 + 2.33 × HB respectively. Conclusion: Regression equations are population specific and will not yield exact stature if applied to other population. Stature estimation can be possible with the help of these two parameters when only skull or remains of the skull are available for medico legal examination.