Trunk and Extremities

SOMATOMETRIC LANDMARKS ON HUMAN BODY

Standard hand hanging position
Acromion (a)

• It is the most lateral point on the lateral margin of the acromial

process at the scapula when the subject stands in normal position
with his arms hanging by the sides. It can be located by palpating the
scapular spine with the fingers.
Acropodion (ap)
• It is the most forwardly placed point of the toe cap, either on the first
or the second toe, if the foot is kept in normal position. As a matter of
fact, the Acropodion (ap) is a point at the tip of the longest toes.
• It is the most distally placed point on the tip of the longest toe (first or
second toe) when the foot is stretched to the maximum.
Dactylion (da)
• It is the lowest point on the anterior curved top of the middle finger,
provided me arm hangs sidewise.
• It is the most distally placed point on the anterior margin of the
middle finger when the subject is in standard arm hanging position.
Iliocristale (ic)
• It is the most laterally placed point on the iliac crest when the subject
stands in normal position. Iliocristale is located on the lateral border
at the upper margin of the iliac crest which can be found out by
palpating with the fingers from down to upwards along the margin of
the crest to see where it crosses over the upper margin.
• It is the most laterally placed point on the lateral border at the upper
margin of the iliac crest.
Iliospinale anterior (isa)
• It is a highest point on superior-anterior iliac spine. It can be located
by placing the fingers on the hips and letting the thumb to find out
the tip of the bone.
• It is the highest point on the superior anterior iliac spine.
Iliospinale posterior (isp)
• This is the most posteriorly placed point on superior posterior iliac
crest.
• It is the most posteriorly placed point on the superior posterior iliac
crest,
Metacarpale radiale (mr)
• It is the most medially placed point on the head of second metacarpal
bone, on the stretched palm.
• It is the most medially placed point on the tip of the second
metacarpal in a stretched hand.
Metacarpale ulnare (mu)
• It is the most laterally placed point on the head of the fifth
metacarpal bone, on the stretched palm.
• Metacarpale ulnare (mu): It is the most laterally placed point on the
tip of the fifth metacarpal in a stretched hand.
Metatarsal fibulare (mft)
• This is the most laterally placed point on the head of the fifth
metatarsal.
• Metatarsale fibulare (mft):It is the most laterally placed point on the
tip of the fifth metatarsal.
Mesosternale (mst)
• This point is located on the anterior border of the sternum where
mid- sagittal plane cuts the line joining the articular surface of the
fourth rib. The position of the ribs may be counted from the sides.
Metatarsale tibiale (mtt)
• This point is the most laterally placed point on the head of the first
metatarsal.
• It is the most laterally placed point on the tip of the first metatarsal.
Pternion (pte)
• It is the hind-most point of the heel when the foot is normally
posited.
• It is the most posteriorly placed point on the heel in mid-sagittal plane
of stretched foot.
Radiale (r)
• It is the highest point on the border of the radius bone i.e. the upper
margin of the radiale capitulum when the arm hangs downwardly.
This landmark can be determined accurately by pronating and
supinating the lower arm. The rotating head of the radius is clearly
distinguished from stationary condyle of the humerus.
• It is the highest point on the upper margin of the radiale capitulum
when the subject is oriented in standard arm hanging position. The
landmark is accurately determined by pronating and supinating the
lower arm.
Spherion (sph)
• It is a lowest point on the tip of the medial malleolus of tibia when
the subject stands erect. The point is to be identified at the tip of the
malleolus.
• It is the lowest point on the tip of the medial malleolus of tibia when
the subject is oriented in standard arm hanging position.
Stylion (sty)
• It is a deepest (lowest) point on the styloid process of the radius if the
arm hangs sidewise. For locating the exact point, one has to palpate
the entire lateral margin of the radius with the thumb-tip.
• It is the deepest point on the styloid process of radius when the
subject is oriented in standard arm hanging position.
Tibiale (ti)
• It is a highest point on the middle of the medial border, which
corresponds to the inner glenoidal margin of the head of tibia. The
point is very hard to locate when adiposity develops on the kneecap,
as found frequently among the females. However, the upper tibiale
margin can be located with first finger and thumb by bending the
knee. The articular surface of the tibia may be indicated by a
horizontal line.
• It is the highest point on the head of tibia.
Symphysion (sy)
• This point is found on the upper margin of the pubic bone in the mid-
sagittal plane. To find out this point, right hand with stretched fingers
will slide downwards till the fingers touch the hard bone and it lies on
the level of the junction of the genital area and abdomen when the
skin must not be folded.
• It is the point on the upper margin of the symphysis of pubic bone in
mid- sagittal plane.
Measurements
• Height vertex or stature: It measures the vertical distance from vertex
(v) to floor when the subject is in standard arm hanging position.
• Sitting height vertex:It measures the straight distance from vertex (v)
to sitting surface of the subject when the subject is oriented in
standard position with head oriented in eye-ear plane and
vertebral column stretched to the maximum.
• Body weight: Weight should be taken with standard weighing
machine with minimum number of clothes and subject should stand
erect and barefooted.
• Skinfold measurements: Skin fold measurements provide a mean of
estimating the amount of fat in the body. Biceps and triceps are well
known sites for these measurements.
• Maximum calf girth: It measures the circumference of the calf where
the calf muscles are well
developed.
• Minimum waist girth: It measures the minimum circumference
between the chest and hip or the narrowest part between the ribs
and intestine.
• Maximum upper arm girth: It measures the maximum circumference
of the upper arm where the biceps muscles are most developed.
Measurement was taken horizontally.
• Chest girth: It measures the circumference of the chest when the
subject was breathing normally. This measurement is also taken
during maximum inspiration and maximum expiration.
• Hand length (isty-daIII): It measures the straight distance between the
midpoint (interstylion-isty) of a line joining the two stylion to
dactylion (daIII) of the middle finger.
• Hand breadth (mr-mu): It measures the straight distance between
metacarpal radialis (mr) to metacarpal ulnare (mu).
• Total upper extremity length (a-daIII): It measures the straight
distance between acromion (a) to dactylion (daIII) of the middle
finger when the subject is in standard arm hanging
position.
Somatometric indices
• Relative sitting height index: It is calculated by dividing sitting height
vertex with height vertex and then multiplied by 100.
• Relative bi-acromial breadth index = [(Bi-acromial breadth
(a-a))/(Height vertex (v-floor)] x 100
• Relative Bicristal breadth index = [(Bi-cristal breadth (ic-ic))/(Height
vertex (v-floor ))] x 100
• Relative chest girth index = [(Chest girth (circumference of the
chest))/(Height vertex (v-floor ))] x 100
• Hand index = [(Hand breadth (mr-mu))/(Hand length (sty-da))] x 100