Course

Anthropometric Measures

Height/Weight

Knee Height

Weight for Height

Circumference

Circumference Tables

Body Fat

Body Fat Tables

Lean Body Mass

Abdominal Fatfolds

Anthro Tables

Summary

Resources

Frame Size

Figure 5. Illustration of Wrist Circumference

Frame size can be estimated by elbow breadth or wrist circumference. Medium frame size is between the 15th and 85th percentile for studied populations. Frame sizes above the 85th percentile are considered large and those below the 15th percentile are small.

Wrist circumference is measured below the radius and ulna (wristbone) as shown in Figure 5. Place a thin tape measure underneath and over the top of the wrist with the metal end about centered. Pull the tape measure tight and let it relax so that there are no gaps and the tape is snug around the wrist. Read the measure at the point of the metal tip to the nearest millimeter and repeat until three measures are within 1 millimeter and record the average reading. The equation to determine an "r" value for estimating frame size is as shown in Figure 6. Table 5 shows the categories of frame size according to the "r" value.

Figure 6. Calculation to Estimate "R" Values for Frame Size

Table 2. Frame Size Estimates Using "R" Values

Figure 7. Illustration of Elbow Breadth Measurement

Elbow breadth is also used to estimate frame size and has been touted as more reproducible than wrist circumference. While the patient holds his elbow at a 90-degree angle with the wrist facing toward the body, calipers are used to measure the breadth between the two prominent bones on either side of the elbow (epicondyles of the humerus) as shown in Figure 7. Read to the nearest 1 millimeter. The reading can be evaluated with consideration to height or age of the patient as shown in Table 3 below.

Table 3. Evaluation of Medium Frame Size³