Body Height Estimation Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measurements of the Second Cervical Vertebra in the Turkish Population

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between body height and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of the C2 (second cervical) vertebra in a Turkish population. This study included five different MRI measurements of C2 vertebrae in 320 individuals. Single and multiple regression analyses were made for stature estimations. There were statistically significant differences between males and females for the stature and the five C2 measurements. The highest correlation was observed for the DA (the length from the top of the dens to the anteroinferior point of the vertebral body) measurement in all cases (all patients, r = 0.692; males, r = 0.640; females, r = 0.480), and the lowest correlation was observed for the AP (the length from the anteroinferior point of the vertebral body to the posteroinferior point of the vertebral body) measurement in all cases (all patients, r = 0.421; males, r = 0.066; females, r = 0.193). The SEE (standard error of estimation) was large. The results of this study suggest that C2 vertebrae measurements may be useful for the estimation of the stature of Turkish individuals, particularly in cases when long bones measurements are not possible. © 2020 Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences.