As Every Detail Counts ii

Today's post is simply for me to continue my discussions on the characteristics to be determined for victim identification which is:

STATURE

Estimation of stature from skeletal measurements is of great interest in forensic anthropology. It's not a fixed value for any individual at any age but is influenced by different factors. Therefore, considerations regarding age, sex and ethnicity may be made when estimating stature from the skeleton. The fact is that an individual's stature is a result of both genetic and environmental (including nutritional, economic influences, etc) factors in a way which is quite complicated. Differences in skeletal body proportions in relation to stature may depend on each of these factors in combination.

Most methods of estimating stature from the skeleton are based on the long bones of the upper and lower extremities. The estimations from these long bones are based on least squares regression. It implies that the standard error is as small as possible from a mathematical point of view.

Okay, now let's do a little calculation together:)

A femur was taken from an individual leg which was separated from its belonged body. The measurement of femur's length (maximally taken from both tips of the femur) is 46 cm. The calculation goes as followed:

2.15 (Femur)  + 72. 57  +/-  3.80

= 2.15 (46cm) + 72. 57 +/-  3.80

= (171. 47 - 3.80) to (171. 47 + 3.80)

= 167. 67 to 175. 27

Hence, the estimated height for the person of which this femur belong to is in the range of 168cm to 175cm tall.

The estimation of stature will get even pronounced as we calculate other bones presence together and also with other types of analytical examinations like body structure analysis, documents of the dead victim, and environmental factors related (geographical, economical, cultural, nutritional values) to determine the age:)

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References:

• "Forensic Antropological Roles in Disaster Victim Identification", lecture by Prof. drg. Etty Indriati, Ph. D
• "Forensic Anthropological Identification of Disaster Victims", Practical Session guidelines in BLOCK 4.2 Lab. Manual Book: Health System & Disaster, UGM.
• CRANKSHAFT: Stature Estimation from The Skeleton