TY - JOUR
T1 - Distinction between perimortem and postmortem fractures in human cranial bone
AU - Ribeiro, Patrícia
AU - Jordana, Xavier
AU - Scheirs, Sarah
AU - Ortega-Sánchez, Marisa
AU - Rodriguez-Baeza, Alfonso
AU - McGlynn, Hannah
AU - Galtés, Ignasi
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was financially supported by the Project SGR14-1420, research group of Biological Anthropology (GREAB).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/9/1
Y1 - 2020/9/1
N2 - Timing of cranial trauma is challenging in forensic cases and literature on the subject is scarce. This study analysed the macroscopic fracture patterns of perimortem cranial fractures and compared them to experimentally reproduced cranial fractures on dry human craniums. The results showed nine traits associated with fresh cranial fractures: undulated margin, flake defects, peels with peel defects, fissures, crushed margins, bridge, bone scales and beveling. All the traits appear on the outer table or on the inner table of the cranium. Although not all characteristics must be present at the same time in all cranial fractures, they do define a new perimortem fracture pattern. Statistical analyses showed that six of these traits (undulated margins, flake defects, crushed margins, bone scales, fissures and peels) are distinctly related with perimortem (fresh) bone conditions. Considering the most discriminant perimortem traits, a decision-making algorithm is developed as a probabilistic approach to distinguish peri- from postmortem cranial fractures with an accuracy of 87%. This algorithm allows the forensic practitioner to incorporate more confidence during cranial trauma evaluation.
AB - Timing of cranial trauma is challenging in forensic cases and literature on the subject is scarce. This study analysed the macroscopic fracture patterns of perimortem cranial fractures and compared them to experimentally reproduced cranial fractures on dry human craniums. The results showed nine traits associated with fresh cranial fractures: undulated margin, flake defects, peels with peel defects, fissures, crushed margins, bridge, bone scales and beveling. All the traits appear on the outer table or on the inner table of the cranium. Although not all characteristics must be present at the same time in all cranial fractures, they do define a new perimortem fracture pattern. Statistical analyses showed that six of these traits (undulated margins, flake defects, crushed margins, bone scales, fissures and peels) are distinctly related with perimortem (fresh) bone conditions. Considering the most discriminant perimortem traits, a decision-making algorithm is developed as a probabilistic approach to distinguish peri- from postmortem cranial fractures with an accuracy of 87%. This algorithm allows the forensic practitioner to incorporate more confidence during cranial trauma evaluation.
KW - Bone trauma
KW - Forensic anthropology
KW - Perimortem traits
KW - Perimortem trauma
KW - Time of injury
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087004815&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00414-020-02356-3
DO - 10.1007/s00414-020-02356-3
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 32592073
AN - SCOPUS:85087004815
VL - 134
SP - 1765
EP - 1774
JO - International Journal of Legal Medicine
JF - International Journal of Legal Medicine
SN - 0937-9827
IS - 5
ER -