Rib injuries in forensic anthropology

Chest wall trauma can contribute to death directly or indirectly in homicides, suicides or accidents. In forensic anthropology, the reconstruction of traumatic thoracic events when soft tissues are absent, requires an adequate understanding of ribcage fracture patterns. Fractures types observed in ribs are not explained by current bone literature. Our work has focused on reviewing injuries by gunfire, sharp force trauma and blunt force injures from ribs in order to simplify this matter.