Stature estimation from femur and humerus by regression and autometry.
Estimation of stature from a single extremity bone is a common forensic practice and many regression equations are given by various workers. In India, Pearson's formula is the most commonly used method to determine the height. These regression equations were subjected to verification on 194 (97 pairs) femora and 102 (51 pairs) humeri from India. It was seen that the Pearsonian formulae did not give exact results. The regression formulae differed statistically in both sexes in femur and humerus. These are calculated and given. This finding once again proves the necessity of having norms or formulae for the specific groups, when reliable results are required. In addition, the proportion between humerus length and femur length is also verified. This has evolutionary significance. In addition to the usual method as above, a method of the proportion these bones individually bear to the stature of the same person to which the bones belong is worked out both as a multiplication factor and percentage proportion to the body stature. It has been amply demonstrated and concluded that this method be called "autometry" and further that this seems to be more reliable method than the tedious yet variable and unreliable results the various formulae give. This autometry seems to have a consistency, being constant in both sexes and all races, thus evolving a "human race autometry".