Stature Estimate by the Upper Arch – Carrea´s Method Modified

Lima, Laíse Nascimento Correia; Tinoco, Rachel Lima Ribeiro; Picapedra, Alicia; Sassi, Carlos; Ulbricht, Viviane; Schmidt, Cristhiane Martins; Rabello, Patrícia Moreira; Francesquini Júnior, Luiz; Daruge Júnior, Eduardo

Summary

The Carrea’s index is an alternative to estimate the human stature. However, in cases when the jaw is affected, this technique becomes impracticable. Expanding the use of the Carrea’s index, by extending it to the upper elements, would increase the chances of the method, especially in cases when only the skull is available for analysis. The aim of the study was to test a new denominator for Carrea’s index, so that it could be used for the upper arch, aiming at a new feature to estimate human stature. Plaster models of the arch and the string of the upper arch of 107 dentistry students, aged between 18 and 30 years, previously submitted to anthropometric analysis, were measured with a digital caliper. The data found were inserted in software developed to find a denominator that would result in a higher number of correct answers to real statures, evaluating the left and the right hemiarch, and their average. For the right hemiarch, the denominator with more accuracy for the real stature was the interval from 2.573 to 2.583, with 58.9 %. For the left hemiarch, the best values were from 2.553 to 2.554 with 63.6 %. The average of hemiarchs had as ideal denominator values between 2.579 and 2.581, with 60.7 %. We found no significant statistical difference between denominators. It was possible to obtain a new denominator to apply Carrea’s index for the upper arch. The new method had satisfactory accuracy rate and should be tested in other populations to verify its applicability.

KEY WORDS: forensic dentistry, forensic anthropology, skull, body height, dental arch.

How to cite this article

LIMA, L. N. C.; TINOCO, R. L. R.; PICAPEDRA, A.; SASSI, C.; ULBRICHT, V.; SCHMIDT, C. M.; RABELLO, P. M.; FRANCESQUINI, JR, L. & DARUGE, JR, E. Stature estimate by the upper arch – Carrea´s method modified. Int. J. Odontostomat., 11(2):123-127, 2017.