The relationship between height and carrying angle among the West Bengal adult population: A cross-sectional study

Background: The carrying angle (CA) of the elbow is a normal anatomical feature that plays an important role in the alignment and functional use of the upper limb. Variations in this angle are influenced by several factors, including sex and body proportions, and understanding these differences has value in clinical and anatomical practice. Aims and Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between CA and height in adults and to observe differences between males and females and between sides. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 197 healthy adults (98 males and 99 females) over a 1-year period. The CA and the height of the study subjects were measured. All the data were tabulated and statistically analyzed by MS Excel 2021 using Student’s t-test for comparisons between sides and gender, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient for the relationship between height and the CA. Results: The overall mean CA was 10.72±4.08°. Females showed a higher mean value (14.56±1.12°) compared to males (6.87±1.53°). The mean height of males (169.03 cm±6.33) is significantly higher than that of females (158.64 cm±5.3). A very strong negative correlation was observed between height and CA across both genders – Male height versus Right and left CA (r=−0.8, P<0.0001 and r=−0.62, P<0.0001); Female height versus Right and left CA (r=−0.827, P<0.0001 and r=−0.38, P<0.0001), indicating a highly statistically significant inverse relationship between the variables. Conclusion: The study shows that the CA has sex-related differences and an inverse relationship with height, indicating that taller individuals tend to have smaller CAs. These findings provide useful baseline data for anatomical, clinical, and orthopedic reference.