Adult stature estimation from radiographic metatarsal length in a contemporary Korean population

Abstract

The ability to estimate stature can be important in the identification of skeletal remains. This study aims to develop a Korean-specific equation predicting stature using radiographic measurements in the contemporary Korean population. 200 healthy Korean adults, including 102 males and 98 females, were randomly selected (age, range 20–86 years). The first and second metatarsals of the foot were measured by a standing X-ray using a digital medical image viewer. The result showed a statistically significant correlation between metatarsal length and stature in Korean populations (male, R = 0.46, p < 0.001; female, R = 0.454, p < 0.001). Values of correlation coefficients (R) of the equations were 0.431 to 0.477. Compared to equations derived from other races, the Korean-specific equation showed significantly lower error values for estimating the actual height of Koreans through cross-validation. In conclusion, this study is the first to propose a Korean-specific regression formula for estimating stature using metatarsal length and a verified formula for precise application to the Korean population. However, given the relatively low correlation coefficient, the stature estimation formula derived from this study can be utilized when other bones that allow more accurate stature estimation are not available.