title: Stature estimation based on measurements of the sternal medullary cavity using multidetector computed tomography images of Japanese cadavers.
abstract: Stature estimation using a skeleton is important for the medicolegal investigation of unidentified human remains. The aims of this study were to identify a correlation between stature and measurements of the sternal medullary cavity using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and derive regression equations for stature estimation in the Japanese population. Measurements were conducted on 215 Japanese subjects (107 males, 108 females) who underwent postmortem computed tomography with subsequent forensic autopsy between May 2012 and January 2014. For assessment, MDCT cross-sections through the mid-point of the first costal facets were chosen. The length of a rising diagonal stroke from the bottom left to the top right of the sternal medullary cavity (RS) and the length of a falling diagonal stroke from top left to bottom right of the sternal medullary cavity (FS) were measured. Statistical analyses indicated that both RS and FS were positively correlated with stature regardless of sex. The correlations were stronger for males than for females. The correlation coefficients for RS were higher than those for FS, and standard errors of estimation calculated by regression analysis using RS were lower than those using FS regardless of sex. Measurement of the sternal medullary cavity using MDCT images may be a potentially useful tool for stature estimation, particularly in cases where better predictors such as long bones are not available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: number60188@chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torimitsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: ymakino-tky@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yohsuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: hms1466@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Hisako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: a.sakuma@chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Ayaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: acua2807@chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Namiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: moo600@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Mutsumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: yajima.d@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: goinokuchi@chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Inokuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: tsunetoa@graduate.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: chibafumico@chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address: iwase@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Hirotaro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwase
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D001827:Body Height; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Forensic anthropology population data; Japanese; Multidetector computed tomography; Regression analysis; Stature estimation; Sternum