Estimation of stature in children from radiographically determined metacarpal length.

Whether radiographically determined second metacarpal diaphyseal length could provide a reliable estimator of stature in children was investigated. The data consist of measurements of stature and 1597 left hand-wrist radiographs of children from 1 to 7 years of age from rural Guatemala. The errors in estimating stature in children from metacarpal length are comparable to those from equations estimating stature from long bones. It is concluded that second metacarpal length may be a reliable and practicable referent for the estimation of stature in children.