Estimation of stature from physiognomic facial length and morphological facial length

 

R. Nivesh Krishna¹, K. Yuvaraj Babu²

¹I BDS Student, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai-600 077.

²Asst. Professor, Dept of Anatomy, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai-600 077.

 

ABSTRACT:

The aim of this study is to estimate the stature of a person from the morphological facial height and physiognomic facial heights. Determination of stature can be done in forensic anthropology. Stature estimation is an important parameter when human remains such as mutilated bodies or only facial remains of skull are bought for medico-legal examination. It differs with age, sex and race. Each race requires its own formula for stature estimation because racial and ethnic variations exist in one population cannot be entirely applicable to other population. Stature estimation can be possible with the help of these parameters when only skull or remains of the skull are available for medico-legal examination.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Estimation of stature from fragmented human remains is an important part of forensic identification of an unknown individual⁽¹⁾. Identification of human remains is of very much importance in medico legal examination. Forensic examination includes the determination of species of origin, age, sex and stature from bones⁽²⁾. Many studies have elicited that there's a positive co-relation between stature and length of long bones of humans. But only a very few studies have revealed that there's a positive co-relation between stature and facial dimensions. Like any part of the human skeleton can be found as evidences, there is a need to investigate whether there is a co-relation between stature and facial dimensions⁽³⁾. The height of the person or the stature is one of the vital factors to determine the physical identity of an individual as there's a biological relationship of stature with all body parts⁽⁴⁾.

 

So, this present study attempts to estimate the stature from facial dimensions such as morphological and physiognomic facial heights in South Indian population and to formulate regression models for this purpose.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 100 young and healthy individuals, comprising of 75 females and 25 males were selected. This study was conducted in the South-Indian population in the year 2016

 

1) ANTHROPOMETRIC METHODOLOGY

The stature and the facial measurements of each subject were taken using standard anthropometric instruments, in centimeters. The anatomical landmarks used for taking measurements were identified by keeping the head in Frankfurt horizontal plane.

 

INSTRUMENTS USED:

The instrument used for data collection was a digital sliding vernier calliper. The     measurements include:

 

 

1)          STATURE :

The stature or height of the individual was measured in the standing position to the vertex using anthropometric rod.

2)     MORPHOLOGICAL FACIAL LENGTH :

It is measured from the nasion (depressed area directly between the eyes, just superior to the bridge of the nose) to the gnathion (the lowest point on the lower border of mandible in the mid sagittal plane) by using a sliding calliper.

3)     PHYSIOGNOMIC FACIAL LENGTH :

It is the straight distance, measured from trichion (the midpoint of anterior line) to the gnathion by using a sliding calliper⁽⁴⁾

 

Fig. 1: Physiognomic facial length

 

Fig. 2: Morphological facial length

 

RESULTS:

TABLE 1: Descriptive statistics for height, physiognomic facial length and morphological facial length.

 

 

 

Regression formula calculation for estimation of stature:

From physiognomic facial height:

Y= 1.008X + 144.265 (in cm) ±5.4   R square = 0.010

where Y is height of the person ,

X is the physiognomic facial height

From morphological facial height:

Y=6.689X + 86.811 (in cm) ±4.9     R square = 0.375

where Y is the height of the person,

X is the morphological facial height.

 

DISCUSSION:

Whenever we want to estimate stature from a given bone or human body part, there must be a relation with the bone or body part with the stature. It can be estimated with the regression equation. Regression analysis is used best for most of the studies⁽⁴⁾. Nagesh. et al, estimated the stature from different segments of the vertebral column in the South Indian population⁽⁵⁾.

 

In a group of Indo-Mauritian population, Agnihothri. et al used the per cutaneous region of tibia to find that the tibial length has a strong relation with stature⁽⁶⁾. Krishnan. et al, at the same time, showed that the measurement of foot length had a greater accuracy than the measurement of foot breath to estimate the stature⁽⁷⁾. Akhter in their study in Bangladeshi Garo adult females showed a significant positive correlation of head circumference with the stature (p=0.005), but head length, bizygomatic breadth and facial height did not reach statistically significant level with stature⁽⁸⁾.

 

Prasanna. L et al., considered the morphological facial height (Nasion to Gnathion ); upper facial height (Nasion to prosthion)  to estimate the stature and also showed that there is a significant co-relation between stature and facial dimensions. Anthropologists distinguish groups of people on the basis of common origin; on whether they were living or had lived in certain defined regions and had possessed different characteristic features in their appearance⁽⁹⁾. Studies regarding the estimation of stature from facial dimensions are scanty. Therefore, this study was done in the South Indian population to estimate stature from cephalo-facial dimensions such as morphological and physiognomic facial height. Since the R square value is positive for both the facial dimensions, it has a significant influence on the height of the person. Therefore, estimation of stature can be done very efficiently using these facial dimensions.

 

CONCLUSION:

So, identification of the human skeleton is a very important part in forensic anthropology^(10-13). This study helps to determine the height of the skeleton by determining facial dimensions such as morphological and physiognomic facial dimensions. So, to conclude, the calculation regression formulae show good reliability and applicability of estimation of height. Henceforth, these formulae can be used to estimate the height of the person in the South Indian Population.

 

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Accepted on 02.08.2016           © RJPT All right reserved

Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2016; 9(11):2071-2073.