Estimation of stature from the arm span of an individual in South Indian population

Abstract

Background: Body height is a vital measure of body size and gives an assessment of the nutritional status of an individual. But, the precise body height cannot always be determined by the normal method because of several malformations of the extremities,or in patients who have undergone amputations or similar injuries. In such cases, an estimation of body height can be derived from other reliable anthropometric indicators,such as hand length, foot length, and arm span of the individual. Objective: The aim of this study is to observe the body height in both sexes of the South Indian population and the relationship between arm span and body height. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on of 30 postmortem cases that came for autopsy. Their height and arm span was measured using a measuring tape. The data was statistically analyzed by computation to find out its normative value. The relationship between body height and arm span will be determined using simple correlation coefficients. Results: There was a significant correlation between the heightof an individual and the arm span, in males (P value: 0.000) as well as in females (P value: 0.009). Conclusion: This study will be significant to forensic experts, human biologists, and physical anthropologists for the determination of stature from the arm span of the individual.