Prediction of the femoral length from markers on its proximal and distal ends
Loading...
Date
2003-11
Authors
Tegegn, Walelign Nega
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
An estimation of stature from the whole length of limb bones is well documented. However,
skeletal remains available for forensic work are often fragmentary. This study presents a
prediction of the femoral length using markers on its proximal and distal ends. A total of 400
South African White and Black adult dried femora, devoid of gross pathology, and grouped
by sex were obtained from the Raymond Dart Collection of Human Skeletons in the
Department of Anatomical Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The
Maximum Femoral Length (FL), Neck-Shaft Angle (NSA), Neck Length (NL), Maximum
Vertical Diameter of the Head of Femur (VDH), Intertrochanteric Apical Axis Length (ITAAL),
Upper Breadth of the Femur (VHA), and Lateral Condyle Height (LCH) were measured. The
data were statistically analysed using the various components of a PC version of SAS soft
ware program. The student's t-test was used to calculate the significant differences of
means between the sexes and races within the study sample as well as with other studies.
The critical value for statistical significance was placed at the 0.05 level.
Correlation coefficients between femoral length and the other variables were calculated. The
length of femur significantly and positively correlated with all segment measurements in both
races and sexes. Femoral length was regressed on segment measurements individually and
in combination and simple as well as multiple linear regression equations were developed for
White and Black South Africans. Stepwise selection procedure was employed to formulate
the multilinear regression equations. Most of the models developed in the present study are
significant at p< 0.0001, r² values are high, and standard errors of the estimates (S. E.E.) are
very low. Therefore, the equations developed in this study present a reasonable degree of
accuracy for the estimation of femoral length from its proximal and distal segments in South
African Whites and Blacks.
Once the length of femur is established, it is possible to calculate living stature of the
individual with a reasonable degree of precision. The necessity of population and sex
specific regression models is addressed.
Description
Keywords
Forensic anthropology, Human skeleton, Leg -- Anatomy, Dissertation (M.Med.Sc. (Anatomy and Cell Morphology))-- University of the Free State, 2003