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Abstract
Anthropometric technique commonly used by anthropologists and adopted by medical scientists
has been employed to estimate body size for over a hundred years. With the increasing
frequency of mass disasters, the identification of an isolated lower extremity and
the stature of the person it belonged to has created problems for the investigation
of the identity of some of the victims. In spite of a need for such a study, there
is a lack of systematic studies to identify fragmented and dismembered human remains.
The purpose of the paper is to analyze anthropometric relationships between dimensions
of the lower extremity and body height. Analysis is based on a sample of middle class
male (N=203) and female (N=108) adult Turks residing in Istanbul. The participants
are mostly students and staff members of a medical school, and military personnel.
Measurements taken are stature, trochanteric height, thigh length, lower leg length,
leg length, and foot height, breadth, and length. Of the five variables entered into
the regression analysis, all but foot breadth participate in the analysis with leg
length as the first and followed by thigh and foot lengths, and finally foot height
in males (R(2)). There were also individually calculated formulae for some of these
measurements which provided smaller R(2)-values. Student's t-test to assess if there
was any intraobserver error in measurements take by individual anthropometrist did
not show such any statistically significant difference. In conclusion, the study suggested
that estimation of a living height can be made possible using various dimensions of
the lower extremity. One must consider differences between populations in order to
apply functions as such to others.