SYNOPSIS FOR PG DISSERTATION

FOR MD/MS,

UNDER RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY

OF HEALTH SCIENCES, BENGALURU.

NAME OF THE

CANDIDATE

AND

ADDRESS

(IN BLOCK LETTERS)

DR. VINAY MANJUNATH RAJ

DEPT. OF FORENSIC MEDICINE,

S. NIJALINGAPPA MEDICAL

COLLEGE, NAVANAGAR,

BAGALKOT, PIN - 587 102.

NAME OF THE

INSTITUTION

S. NIJALINGAPPA MEDICAL

COLLEGE AND HSK HOSPITAL,

BAGALKOT.

COURSE OF THE

STUDY AND

SUBJECT

M D (FORENSIC MEDICINE)

SYNOPSIS FOR PG DISSERTATION FOR MD/MS,

UNDER RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, BENGALURU.

1. Name And

Address of the candidate

(in block letters)

DR. VINAY MANJUNATH RAJ

DEPT. OF FORENSIC MEDICINE,

S. NIJALINGAPPA MEDICAL COLLEGE,

NAVANAGAR, BAGALKOT, PIN - 587 102.

2. Name of the institution S. Nijalingappa Medical College & HSK Hospital,

Navavagar, Bagalkot.

3. Course of study and subject M D (Forensic Medicine)

4. Date of admission to course 26-05-2010

5. Title of the Topic:

“Estimation of Stature from foot length and Foot prints among students and staff of

S N medical college of age group 21-30 years.”

6. Brief resume of the intended work:

6.1 : Need for the study:

The human foot has been studied for a variety of reasons, i.e., for forensic as well

as for non-forensic purposes by anatomist, forensic scientists, anthropologists,

physicians, podiatrists, and numerous other groups.1 Footprints are of immense value in

establishing personal identity and a potential link between the crime and the perpetrator.

Footprints can be collected from almost every kind of crime scene. Examination of

bare-foot impressions is important in developing countries where the majority of the

rural population likely to walk barefooted because of socioeconomic and climatic

reasons. The partial or complete foot-prints can be found on rain-covered surfaces,

newly waxed floors, and freshly cemented surfaces, moistened surfaces, in dust, mud,

sand, oil, paint, and blood.

In cases, of mass disasters and criminal mutilation, it is not unlikely to find

peripheral parts of the body such as hand and foot. More often in mass disasters, it may

be only the feet which are recovered intact than any other parts of the body. Stature has

been estimated from foot prints, foot measurements, and based on statistical equations

and formulae. Analysis of footprints helps in estimation of an individual's stature

because of the existence of a strong positive co-relation between one's stature and foot

size. Thus an effort is being made to correlate the foot length and foot prints with

stature.

6.2 Review of literature:

Identification is the determination of individuality of a person living or dead based

on certain characteristics. Identification becomes necessary in the living, recently dead

persons, decomposed bodies, mutilated and skeletal remains and is required in civil as

well as criminal cases.2 Various criteria are used to establish the identity of human

remains. Amongst them, Stature is considered to be one of the primary characteristic

features. Estimating stature from foot dimensions have been done by so many studies in

different parts of the world with significant variations. This is due to multiple factors

like age, sex, race, heredity, nutrition, ethnicity and others. So it is difficult to produce

single standard formula for determination of stature from foot length and foot prints for

the entire papulation.3 However from different studies carried out in different provinces

it has been concluded that different normograms have become necessary for different

populations.4

From the study of ratio index of foot length to stature, it is concluded that, the foot

length relative to stature shows no great variation within the human races.5 On an

average a person’s foot prints length is equal to 15% of a person’s height.5

Study conducted by G M Raju and Vijaynath concluded that walking barefoot

length correlates with stature.5 It is accepted that feet can be an excellent clue regarding

personal identity. The length of the foot, which is a product of movement of lower

limbs and pelvic girdle when a person is walking, can be helpful in estimating the

stature of an individual.

6.3 Objectives of the study:

o To estimate the stature from percutaneous measurement of foot length

and maximum length of the complete foot print.

o To evolve regression equation for stature estimation from above

dimensions.

7. Materials and Methods:

7.1 Source of data: Students and staff of S N Medical college between the age group of

21-30 years

Inclusion criteria: Adults

o Age group: 21- 30 years.

o Apparently healthy.

o Only Adults who have documentary evidence of age in the

form of birth certificate issued by Municipal Corporation.

o Students and staff of S Nijalingappa Medical College.

o Should belong to North Karnataka by origin.

Exclusion criteria: Adults with

o Chronic illness.

o Endocrinal disorders.

o Individual with deformities of foot, lower limb(s) and

vertebral column.

o Flat foot.

o Below 21 years and above 30 years of age.

Sampling method:

o Stratified Random Sampling based on age.

o Sample size – 100.

7.2 Method of collection of data :

General physical examination will be conducted to know the health status and rule

out any deformities in the subjects.

Materials: Printer black ink, Glass plate, Manual Roller, Pencil, Measuring scale,

Vertical wooden scale, Osteometric board, Data collecting instrument, Calculator.

Method:

Recording of Foot Prints: The aim and objectives of the intended study will be

properly explained to the subjects and informed consent will be taken on the proforma

sheet. Participants will be asked to wash and dry their foot to remove the dirt. A plain

glass plate of about 24 X 24 inches is cleaned and uniformly smeared with a thin layer

of black printer ink by using a roller. The subjects will then be made to place their right

foot on the smeared glass plate. So that print of right foot will be transferred to the duly

prepared foot print proforma, keeping in mind the need to minimize the possible

technical source of dimensional artefact. The length of the foot print will be measured

from the mid rear heal point posteriorly to 1st or 2nd toe whichever is longer anteriorly.

The same will be repeated with the left foot. In this way, each and every individual's

bare foot prints are recorded.

Recording of foot length: The subject is made to place their right foot on

Osteometric board with the fixed plate of the board touching the most posteriorly

projecting point of the heel (pternion), the movable plate will be adjusted to measure the

most anteriorly projected point (acropodian) of the first or second toe, whichever is

longer, when the foot is stretched will be considerd, and it will be measured in

centimeters approximated to the nearest millimeter. Same thing will be repeated for the

left foot.

Recording of the height: The height of each subject will be recorded by asking

him/her to stand erect with bare foot on the base of the standard stadiometer in a

standing position, plate being attached to the vertical Wooden scale of two meters. Then

the subjects will be asked to stand without support, with arms by the side of the body,

head in steady position. The height will be measured on the vertex of the head with the

help of horizontal thin plate in centimeters to the nearest millimeters.

7.3 Does the study require any investigation or interventions to be conducted on patients

or other humans or animals? If so, please describe briefly.

No

7.4 Has ethical clearance been obtained from your institution in case of 7.3?

Yes.

8. List of references:

1) Irene A F, Nabil K. Stature and Body Weight estimation from various footprint

Measurements Among Egyptian population, Journal of forensic science, july 2010, vol

55, no.4, 884-888.

2) Modi’s Medical jurisprudence and toxicology, 23ed edition, Lexis Nexis,

Butterworths Wadhwa, Nagpur, 2005, Page 263- 264, 321- 322.

3)Tanuj K, Menezes R G, Moudgil R , Kaur R, Kotian M S, and Garg R K. Stature

estimation from foot length using universal regression formula in a North Indian

population, J of forensic science, January 2010, vol 55, no 1, page 163-166

4) Chavan K D, Datir S B, Farooqui J M and Numan H S: Correlation of foot

length with height among Maharashtrian population of India, Indian academy of

forensic medicine, vol 31 no 4, page 334 337

5) Raju G M, Vijayanth V, Anitha M R; Walking bare foot: print shows stature of

a male individual. Indian academy of Forensic medicine, Vol 31 no 4, page 338-343.

9. Signature of the candidate

10. Remark of the guide Recommended

11. 11.1 Name and

designation of Guide

11.2 Signature

DR V. H. KELVEKAR

PROFESSOR,

DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC MEDICINE,

S. NIJALINGAPPA MEDICAL COLLEGE,

BAGALKOT.

11.3 Head of the

Department

11.4 Signature

DR C. S. KAPSE

PROFESSOR AND HEAD

DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC MEDICINE,

S. NIJALINGAPPA MEDICAL COLLEGE,

BAGALKOT.

12 12.1 Remarks of the Principal

12.2 Signature