Estimation of stature from percutaneous length of ulna in rural government medical college and hospital in Marathwada region of central Maharashtra

Abstract

Establishing the identity of person is one of important procedure in Forensic investigation. In disasters settings, establishing the  biological identity of an unknown body is quite challenging because of several extrinsic and intrinsic factors. For the forensic  investigators and medico legal personals, it becomes difficult when a disaster occurs at when mixed populations are present at that  time. The biological factor like the putrefaction, advanced decomposition, mutilated and commingled body parts or dismembered  body parts makes individual identity difficult. Stature is one of the important components. India is multiethnic country, the  populations of one geographic region varies in terms of our biological and cultural identity with other geographic. Due to the  unavailability of population specific regression equations there is a need of develop population specific regressions equations so that it  will help the medico legal fraternity while dealing with the unknown body. In the present study an effort has been made to study  correlation between stature and percutaneous length of ulna using appropriate statistical methods. The present cross-sectional study  consisted of 240 medical students (male-110, female-130) between the age group of 19-23 year at SRTR Government Medical  College, Ambajogai, Dist. Beed, Maharashtra, India. We measured stature and percutaneous length of ulna of study subjects with the  help of stadiometer and sliding vernier caliper. The mean length of right ulna (cm) in males was 25.98 ± 1.24 and 22.01 ± 1.33 in  females. The mean length of left ulna (cm) in males was 25.63 ± 1.28 and in females was 21.84 ± 1.72. The Standard error for male  and female was 4.21 and 4.56 respectively. The correlation coefficient (r) for male and female was 0.62 and 0.69 respectively.  Intercept for males was 89.35 and for females it was 110.44.The linear regression equation for males was found to be Y = 3.11 X +  89.35 and for females it was Y = 2.40 X + 110.44, where X: percutaneous ulnar length (cm) and Y: Stature (cm). Stature and  percutaneous length of ulna of both the hands shows positive strong correlation so that forensic experts can estimate the stature with  the help of percutaneous length of ulna. Since sample size is small, we can't generalize it to larger population. More extensive studies  have to be undertaken in future.