Study of Hand and Finger Indices for Prediction of Sex and Estimation of Stature in a Sample of Egyptian and Malaysian Youth

Abstract

Identification is a cornerstone in forensic investigations. The present study aimed to evaluate hand indices as a potential tool for determination of sex and estimation of stature in a sample of Egyptian and Malaysian people. The study included 200 Egyptian and 100 Malaysian participants. Stature was measured using a stadiometer. Hand length, hand breadth, index finger length, and ring finger length were measured using Vernier caliper. The hand index was computed by the following formula: (hand breadth/hand length) x 100. The ratio of the index to the ring finger (D2:D4 ratio) was calculated by dividing the length of index by the length of the ring finger of the same hand. All measurements were significantly higher in male than female subjects, except for the D2:D4 ratio which was significantly higher in female than in male subjects in either population. In Egyptian participants, the best measurement for sex discrimination was hand length in both hands (AUC: Rt=0.892, Lt: AUC=0.898). In Malaysian participants, the best measurement for sex discrimination was hand breadth in both hands (Rt: AUC=0.949, Lt: AUC=0.959). In all groups, there was positive, significant, moderate-strong correlation between stature and each of hand length, hand breadth, index finger length, and ring finger length. Backward elimination multiple regression was performed to developed models for stature estimation for each population using measurements from one hand. In conclusion, hand dimensions can serve as a tool to predict sex and calculate stature with reasonable accuracy in Egyptian and Malaysian youths.