Length of Ulna and Its Correlation with Stature in Nepalese Population

Abstract

Introduction: Stature, an individual inherent characteristic, is an important measurement of physical identity. Percutaneous measurement of length of ulna, amongst sundry methods, can be quantitatively used to express height, and has been carried out in Nepalese population in this study. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in 198 randomly selected healthy peoples, aged 19-25 years, attending outpatient department at Lumbini Medical College, Palpa, Nepal. Length of bilateral ulna, from tip of olecranon to the tip of styloid process, in flexed elbow, and height of each induvial participant were measured in standard position (Frankfurt plane). Means and standard deviations of all variables were recorded and tabulated; and regression equations were calculated for estimating height across each diverse subsets of participants. Results: A significant correlation was found between ulnar length and stature (right ulna male: 22.98±1.29cm; right ulna female: 23.21±1.92cm; left ulna male: 22.85±1.30; left ulna female: 23.10±1.95; mean height in males: 153.98±1.29; mean height in females: 151.67±1.92). Conclusion: Being a percutaneous and easy to measure bone, ulnar length can be an infallible technique for estimating an individual’s height, thus becoming nifty for anatomists, anthropologists, and forensic experts.