evaluating anthropometric dimensions of the femur using direct and indirect methods

introduction: the human anthropometric characteristics are surveyed in anthropology. anthropology is used in archeology, rehabilitation and legal medicine. the purpose of this study was to determine femur which has a special place in the science of anthropometry. methods: to measure the femur, both direct and indirect methods was used. the direct method of measuring the 113 femur in dissection hall. samples included persons aged between 20-40 years who were selected randomly. in this descriptive and analytical study, cluster sampling method was used to select the subjects. for anthropometric measurements, metallic and plastic tape, goniometer, caliper were used. different dimensions of the femur such as anteriorposterior and lateral diameter of the femoral head, anterior-posterior and lateral diameter of the body, the minimum length diameter of the neck, superficial longest and shortest femoral height were measured. results: the mean±sd of femoral length was 40.31 cm and 43.3 cm, in females and males respectively, this difference was significant (p< 0.05). all dimensions were significantly different between male and female in direct and indirect method. conclusion: usage of anthropometric data in designing a product can reduce human errors and improve public health and qualification of products and efficiency of workplaces. in addition, by using a single bone such as femur, we can determine gender, age or the relationship between bone length and body weight. it is also helpful in forensics, biomedical engineering, ergonomics and surgery.