Reconstruction of Femur Length From Its Fragments in South Indian Females

Stature reconstruction from skeletal remains forms part of the forensic anthropological analysis for the purpose of identification of an individual. It is well documented from the previous studies that intact femur has the highest correlation with stature and as such widely used in deriving the regression equations. However, the femur is not always recovered intact in forensic cases. The aim of the present study was to estimate the length of femur from measurements of its fragments. This information is important in archaeological studies and forensic investigations, particularly when fragmented material is examined. Sixty femora of adults’ female individuals were selected for analysis. Maximum length and measures of seven fragments of the femur were obtained by means an osteometrical board and a digital caliper. Simples and multiple linear regressions were made to correlate each fragment with total length of the femur. Regressions formulae were obtained to define these estimates. The derived formulae are population specific and are designed for use in forensic skeletal analyses of South Indian females.