Estimation of the length of the tibia from dimensions of the distal articular surfaces of the tibia in adult Kenyans

Abstract

Introduction: The present study was planned to determine the utility of distal tibial dimensions in estimation of the length of the tibia in a Kenyan population. Materials and methods: A total of 156 tibiae were obtained for the present study from the Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi and the osteology collection of the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi. Measurements were taken directly from the bone using a digital pair of vernier calipers (Sealey Professional ToolsTM). Morphometric data were analyzed and measurements were expressed in means ± standard deviation. For those dimensions that showed a linear association with the length of the tibia, Pearson’s correlation test was carried out. Linear regression to derive equations for estimation of the length of the tibia was carried out. Results: The height of the fibular incisura, breadth of the medial malleolus and the length and width of the tibial plafond displayed moderate linear association with the length of the tibia. The linear regression models generated for length estimation yielded low coefficients of determination. Conclusion: Though, it is possible to estimate the length of the tibia from its distal dimensions, caution should be observed when using these dimensions because the estimates from the equations incorporating them have low accuracy.