Abstract
One of the main steps in the identification of an unknown person, from their skeletal remains, is the estimation of stature. Measurements of intact long bones of the upper and lower extremities are widely used for this purpose because of the high correlation that exists between these bones and stature. In 1987, Lundy and Feldesman presented regression equations for stature estimation for the black South African population group based on measurements of bones from the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons. Local anthropologists have questioned the validity of these equations. Living stature measurement and magnetic resonance imaging scanograms of 58 adult volunteers (28 males and 30 females) representing the modern black South African population group were obtained. Physiological length of the femur (FEPL) and physiological length of the tibia (TPL) were measured on each scanogram and substituted into appropriate equations of Lundy and Feldesman (S Afr J Sci. 1987;83:54–55) to obtain total skeletal height (TSHL&F). Measured total skeletal height (TSHMeas) for each subject from scanograms was compared with TSHL&F. Both FEPL and TPL presented with significantly high positive correlations with TSHMeas. A comparison between TSHL&F and TSHMeas using a paired t-test, showed a statistically significant difference – an indication of non-validity of Lundy and Feldesman’s equations. New regression equations for estimation of living stature were formulated separately for male and female subjects. The standard error of estimate was low, which compared well with those reported for other studies that used long limb bones.
 Significance:
 
 Statistically significant differences were observed between measured and estimated skeletal height, thus confirming non-validity of Lundy and Fieldsman’s (1987) equations for lower limb bones.
 New regression equations for living stature estimation were formulated for femur and tibia lengths, and the low standard error of estimates of equations compared well to results from other studies.
Highlights
Estimation of stature from complete skeletons or from individual/combination measurements of bones forms a necessary part of the process of establishing the biological profile of an individual from recovered or discovered skeletons
These results indicate that regression equations previously derived for skeletal height estimation by Lundy and Feldesman[24] using FEPL, TPL and a combination of these measurements are no longer valid for male and female black South Africans (Table 2)
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was selected as the imaging modality as it does not expose participants to high doses of harmful ionising radiation as is the case with X-ray and computed tomography (CT).[45]
Summary
Estimation of stature from complete skeletons (anatomical method) or from individual/combination measurements of bones (mathematical method) forms a necessary part of the process of establishing the biological profile of an individual from recovered or discovered skeletons The former method has been reported to produce accurate estimates of stature and is neither population nor sex-specific.[1,2,3] it has the disadvantages of being time consuming and very tedious.[2] In addition, the anatomical method can be used for estimation of stature only if an intact and complete skeleton is available, which is considered a luxury in forensic cases. The mathematical method is based mainly on a statistical theorem known as regression analysis This involves the formulation of regression equations from individual measurements or combinations of measurements of intact and fragmentary bones of the skeleton and percutaneous bones. Regression equations have been formulated from measurements of fragments of long bones for stature reconstruction[15] and other bony elements (e.g. clavicle[16], skull[17], scapulae[18], metacarpals,[19] vertebrae[20], sacrum[21], calcaneus[22] and metatarsals23) as long limb bones are often recovered in forensic and archaeological practice in fragmentary states
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