Background: Stature estimation provides relevant data for personal identi cation, in the events of murders, accidents or natural disasters, which results in highly decomposed, fragmentary and mutilated human remains.
Aim and Objective: To determine body stature of both sexes using arm span and find the relationship between stature and arm span.
Place of Study: The present study was carried out in the department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Nalgonda District of State Telangana.
Type of Study: Descriptive cross sectional study with analytical and comparative components
Material and Method: Arm span length was measured using a calibrated steel tape to the nearest millimeter in bare feet on a level flat surface with peer backs and buttocks, heel against the wall giving the support.
Observation and Discussion: observation among study subjects n = 150, where 85 (56.7%) were males and 65 (43.3%) were girls. Height and arm span in boys (164.7 ± 10.92 cm and 162.38 ± 8.02 cm respectively) was significantly (p < 0.000) more than girls (157.1 ± 9.1 cm and 156.8 ± 6.5 cm respectively). Height to Arm span ration HAR of boys and girls according to age of the subjects are shown and overall mean Height to Arm span ration was 0.9961 ± 0.0183. In the present study the correlation between stature and arm span showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.8651, p < 0.000). This result is an support to the widely accepted positive correlation between height and arm span in adults.
Conclusion: Using regression equation for estimation of stature is more acceptable, and result of this study and regression equations may be considered in clinical practice and in medico legal cases for estimation of stature from arm span in south Indian population of Nalgonda
District of Telangana.
Keywords: Stature; Arm Span; Regression equations.