Elsevier

Legal Medicine

Volume 10, Issue 4, July 2008, Pages 185-189
Legal Medicine

Estimation of stature from hand dimensions of north and south Indians

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2008.01.001Get rights and content

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to predict the stature of a person using hand length and breadth. The study includes 500 right-hand dominant medical students aged between 20 and 30 years, from northern and southern parts of India, studying in Kasturba medical college, Manipal, India. Hand length was measured ‘between the distal wrist crease and the tip of middle finger (HL-1)’ and ‘between the mid-point of inter-styloid line to the tip of middle finger (HL-2)’. Hand breadth was measured between radial side of the second metacarpophalyngeal joint and ulnar side of the fifth metacarpophalyngeal joint (HB). No significant difference was present in hand dimensions between north and south Indians. When compared between both hands, right-hand dimensions were larger than the left hand, with statistically significant difference in HL-2 and HB. Linear regression equations using hand length is more helpful in estimating stature than the hand breadth. The correlation coefficients ranged from 0.673 to 0.665 and 0.740 to 0.732 in north Indian males and females, respectively. Whereas in south Indians, it ranged from 0.752 to 0.732 and 0.701 to 0.691 in males and females, respectively. Multiple regression equations give better results than linear regression equations. HL-2 gives more accurate results in stature estimation than the HL-1.

Introduction

In any medico legal investigation, identification of a person or dead body is important as it helps in connecting the criminal to the crime. Along with sex, age, and race, stature is considered as one of the important parameter for identification. Studies have shown that stature can be estimated from length of long bones, fragmentary bones, spine, foot dimensions, metacarpal and metatarsal lengths, skull, and scapula [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8].

It is common to find the peripheral parts of the body such as hand and foot in explosions, aircraft and railway accidents. Many studies have been conducted in different ethnic groups to estimate stature from hand dimensions [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15]. In India, such studies have been conducted in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, which belongs to north Indian region [16], [17]. No such studies have been documented in south Indian population. India is a vast country with varied geographical conditions. Stature varies with race and is determined by genetics of a person, geographical location, environment and climatic conditions [17]. An attempt has been made in the present study to estimate stature from hand dimensions of north and south Indians separately and to conduct a comparative study between them.

Section snippets

Material and methods

The present study was undertaken in the Kasturba medical college, Manipal, where students from various parts of the country seek admission aspiring medical education. The study sample consisted of 500 medical students comprising of 220 north Indians (120 males, 100 females) and 280 south Indians (110 males, 170 females), aged between 20 and 30 years. Division of subjects into north and south Indians was based on their region of origin considering the zonal divisions of India [18]. Non resident

Results and observations

The stature measurements in both sexes of north and south Indians are shown in Table 1. In both populations, the stature is larger in males compared to females. There is no significant difference in stature between north and south Indian population when compared between same sexes.

The mean values of hand dimensions in north and south Indians are shown in Table 2, Table 3, respectively. In both populations, the hand length and breadth are larger in males compared to females. The right-hand

Discussion

It is a known fact that body physique is influenced by climatic, hereditary, nutritional, and racial factors. Studies have shown that hand dimensions vary in different races. Nigerian female hand was found to be wider and shorter than that of their foreign counterparts [12]. A significant difference was found in hand lengths of females among Indians, west Europeans and natives of West Indies, while no difference was found in hand breadth [13].

In the present study, males surpassed females in

Conclusion

In present study, hand length and breadth were used to predict the stature of a person. The study includes 500 persons aged between 20 and 30 years. Only right handed subjects were included in the study. The salient findings are as follows:

  • Males have larger hand dimensions than females in both north and south Indians.

  • No significant difference was present in hand dimensions between north and south Indians.

  • Right hand dimensions were larger than the left hand; significant difference was found in

References (18)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (122)

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text