Study of Correlation between Hand Length and Foot Length in Human Beings

Abstract

Background: The dimensions and body proportions of human beings are widely variable with respect to age, sex and racial groups. All the parts of the body show biological variation. This fact can be utilized to predict the size of one part of the body using other part of the body. But there was no data available in the literature showing the relationship between hand length and foot length. Therefore present study was undertaken to determine the correlation between the hand length and foot length. Methodology: Total 400 healthy and normal adult medical students (200 Male and 200 Female) between age group 18-25 years with no obvious deformities or previous history of trauma to the hands or feet were selected for the study. The hand length and foot length of both the sides of individuals were measured with the help of sliding calipers and spreading calipers respectively, and data was analyzed statistically for correlation. Results: The correlation between hand lengths and foot lengths found to statistically highly significant on both sides in both sexes with p value < 0.0001. Correlation coefficients between hand lengths and foot lengths were higher for females than males. Conclusion: It is therefore concluded that if the hand length is known, the foot length can be predicted and vice versa. This could be of help in medico-legal cases for the identification of body parts as well as in cosmetic surgery.