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Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine 3/2017

01-05-2017 | Original Article

New insights in the analysis of blunt force trauma in human bones. Preliminary results

Authors: Sarah Scheirs, Assumpció Malgosa, David Sanchez-Molina, Marisa Ortega-Sánchez, Joan Velázquez-Ameijide, Carlos Arregui-Dalmases, Jordi Medallo-Muñiz, Ignasi Galtés

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 3/2017

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Abstract

Determining the time of injury is an important but still a challenging task in forensic anthropology. In literature, many descriptions can be found to make a distinction between perimortem and postmortem fractures. Characteristics that are more related to fractures in fresh conditions, however, are not extensively investigated. This study compared 28 perimortem fractures from autopsies and 21 both fresh and dry experimentally reproduced human bone fractures. Preliminary results showed the following five distinct traits that might be related to perimortem conditions: layered breakage, bone scales, crushed margins, wave lines and flakes with matching flake defect. These distinct traits might not only be good estimators of perimortem trauma but also may be an indicator of trauma in intra vitam conditions, especially related with muscular reaction to injury. Furthermore, layered breakage seems to be a good trait to infer the biomechanics of trauma.
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Metadata
Title
New insights in the analysis of blunt force trauma in human bones. Preliminary results
Authors
Sarah Scheirs
Assumpció Malgosa
David Sanchez-Molina
Marisa Ortega-Sánchez
Joan Velázquez-Ameijide
Carlos Arregui-Dalmases
Jordi Medallo-Muñiz
Ignasi Galtés
Publication date
01-05-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 3/2017
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1514-1

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