An autopsy-based correlation study about developing standards for estimation of stature in females from distance between two anterior superior iliac spines in Central India region, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Stature is the vertical distance between the top of vertex and the heel of the feet. Stature is one of the important parameters for  establishing the identity of unknown corpse. Sometimes, the identification becomes very hard if the body is destroyed or mutilated in  fire, explosions, murders, natural mass disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, floods and many others. In these situations, the  need of forensic expert arises for establishing the identity of an individual from the amputated, mutilated and decomposed body  fragments. Hence the aim of present study was developing standards for estimation of stature in females from distance between two  anterior superior iliac spines in central India Region, Madhya Pradesh belonging to the age group of 20-60 years in the department of  Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, M.G.M. Medical College and M.Y. Hospital, Indore (M.P). Among 258 females, the mean stature  was 158.87±5.27, whereas the mean percutaneous inter anterior superior iliac spinous distance was found to be 22.02±1.36.  Regression equation with significant correlation was derived. Multiplication factor for percutaneous inter anterior superior iliac spine  was found to be 7.21. Even though stature can be calculated with the long bones of upper limbs and lower limbs but intact long bone  may not be present all the time or only part of torso or pelvis is brought for autopsy, in this situation inter spinous distance can be used  to estimate stature.