Derivation Of Predictive Equations For Stature Reconstruction From Percutaneous Hand Anthropometry Among Adult Nigerians.

Determination of sex and living stature are key components of the biological profile for personal
identification of individuals. There is limited literature describing such investigation among adult Nigerians.
The present study was carried out to develop regression models to estimate living stature and reliably predict
sex from percutaneous anthropometric dimensions of the hand in a contemporary adult Nigerian population
in Lagos. To derive the regression models, a total of nine (9) anthropometric measurements were recorded for
two hundred and twenty-two (222) adult Nigerians (Male 115, Females 107) ranging from 18-65 years of age
among them were staff and students of College of Medicine of the University of Lagos and Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba. The direct measurements taken were Hand length, Palm length, Hand
breathes, Wrist width and Digit lengths which included thumb, index, middle, ring and little fingers. The
result of this present study recorded a significant relationship between gender and stature determination
using hand dimensions (p<0.001) as males recorded a mean of 176.49±7.4cm and female recorded a mean of
166.36±7.1cm. Together with stature every other parameter showed statistical significant difference
(p<0.01) between male and female. Results for correlation between hand parameters and stature was
statistically significant (p<0.01) as different variables showed different degrees and strength of association
ranging between 0.411 to 0.625 for left hand and 0.467 to 0.587 for right hand measurements. The weakest
correlations were observed in thumb length, little finger and wrist width respectively on the right hand while
thumb length and wrist width showed the weakest correlation on the left hand. Regression formulae for
reconstructing stature were developed for each of these parameters through simple and multiple linear
regressions for stature and logistic regression models were generated for sex estimation with a sectioning
point at 0.5. Hand dimensions can be used in Sex and stature determination in medico legal cases if the need
arises. This derived equations, thus, provided a new tool for standard in forensic science in medico-legal
practice.