Height Prediction Using Metacarpal Lengths as Measured from X-rays in Postmortem Identification
Asan Petrus, Syafruddin Ilyas, Adang Bachtiar, Imam Budi Putra, Ahmad YudiantoBackground:
Victims of crimes and natural disasters have increased significantly in Indonesia over the last two decades, causing dead bodies necessitating accurate forensic identification.
Aims:
To determine victims’identities, including estimating their height from metacarpal bone lengths, a metric for which no official formula yet exists in Indonesia.
Methods:
This study, an analytical correlational cross-sectional research conducted in North Sumatra from March 2024 to May 2024, involved 138 subjects and used cluster random sampling. Primary data, namely measurements of the length of the metacarpal bones obtained through computerized X-ray photos of the respondents’ right and left palms connected to an X-ray machine, then the data were processed using SPSS software version 26.
Results:
The statistical analysis methods used include normality tests, Pearson correlation tests, and linear regression tests. Findings showed a significance level
Conclusion:
A total of 63 new formulas for estimating height from metacarpal bones I-V were discovered, with the best predictors varying by gender and overall best involving multiple variables. This research provides a new set of formulas for estimating height from metacarpal lengths, applicable to the North Sumatran population.