A method for reconstructing human femoral length from fragmented shaft specimens

The present study introduces a method to estimate the length of femora from partial elements, including incomplete diaphyseal fragments. The method is based on the measurements of several landmarks and distances between them, such as linea aspera length, intertrochanteric distance, the distance between the middle of the lesser trochanter and the end of the linea aspera, and the distance between the end of the linea aspera and the basal condylar line. The various regression formulae (comparing standard to robust methods) suggest that linea aspera length is the best estimator of femur length when the ends are incompletely preserved.