Adult stature estimation from radiographically determined metatarsal length in Korean population

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Estimation of the stature might be critical in the identification of skeletal remains. Usually, the small bones found among human remains are not only the most numerous, but also the best-preserved parts. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether metatarsals can be used for the estimation of adult stature in a Korean population using radiologically determined metatarsal lengths and to propose regression equations and test the formulae for determining adult stature. The first and second metatarsals of the foot of the 200 healthy adult participants were assessed by plain X-ray in a standing position utilizing a digital radiography machine commonly used in hospitals. The metatarsal length was measured by PACS system. As a result of the study, the lengths of the both metatarsals were positively correlated with the stature. The equations derived from the maximum length (M1) of the first metatarsal was S = 1285.76 + 5.36M1, R = 0.4597 and the maximum length (M2) of the second metatarsal was 1295.4 + 4.52M2, R = 0.4538. A comparison of our statistical results with those of other population groups indicates that ours is more accurate in estimating stature of Korean population. The regression equations for stature estimation obtained in our study may be utilized for the identification of stature of skeletons in Korean population. Also, this may be expected to help with identification from forensic point of view and to provide useful data for anthropological research in the future.