Perimortem Trauma Case Study

721 Words2 Pages

Relevance of Perimortem Trauma in Forensic Science
The skeletal system is an anatomical body system which consists of all the bones and joints in our bodies. In total, an adult body entails 206 distinct bones, arranged in the axial skeleton (80) and the appendicular skeleton (126). The latter division has bones in the limbs, pelvic girdle and the shoulder girdle, whilst the rest of the bones belong to the axial division. It’s a very important system therefore it has a few main functions. The most obvious is that it gives the body its rigid shape, which makes it relevant to other body functions like breathing, which is helped by the rib cage expanding to accommodate the movement of the lungs. Other functions include support to ensure that organs …show more content…

Various common fracture patterns were found which were indicative of perimortem skeletal trauma.
One of the most common fractures accompanying perimortem trauma is a ‘butterfly fracture’, commonly located on long bones like the fibula (as seen in Figure 1). The analysis of perimortem trauma was also aided by detailed identifying characteristics of fracture-like topographies. Out of 111 perimortem skeletal traumas observed in this study, 38 (34.2%) of them featured these types of characteristics (Moraitis, et al, 2008). Figure 2 details the breakdown of these characteristics.
Interpreting perimortem trauma can become more complicated in some cases, especially if the bones have been exposed to extreme heat and/or fire. An investigation published in 1999 looked into perimortem specific characteristics of burned bones. These were analysed using radiographic, macroscopic and microscopic techniques. (Herrmann, Bennett, 1999). The results showed that perimortem trauma can still be determined, however the bone/ fracture patterns must be meticulously examined to ensure that the correct conclusion is drawn from the bone damage

More about Perimortem Trauma Case Study

Open Document