Fractography of the long tubular bones of the lower extremities in trauma by blunt objects

New data on micromorphological signs of fracture of long tubular bones in normal distribution and transformation of deforming forces are presented. Fractographic signs of bone for each destructive stage, signs of repeated trauma are singled out. Interrelationship between bone microstructure and conditions of its destruction is stated.     

Determination of length of human upper limb long bones from their fragments

It is impossible to measure directly the length of fragmentary or broken long bones. It is in order to calculate the height (stature) of the individual, using magnification factors. An attempt has been made to devise a method of calculating the length from such fragments for the three long bones of the upper limb.     

Gender determination based on osteometric characteristics of the upper and lower extremities by discriminant analysis

The authors studied the osteological collection of the Chair of Antropology of the Moscow State University. The results of measurement of length of long tubular bones and articular parts of scapula and pelvis were statistically treated. The complex of discriminant models calculated by the Fisher's method is recommended for the sex identification. The diagnostic accuracy is 74 - 83.5% (separated bones) and 85.7 - 95.2% (complex of bones of upper and lower extremities).     

Sex determination and estimation of stature from the long bones of the arm

The determination of sex and the estimation of stature from bones play an important role in identifying unknown bodies, parts of bodies or skeletal remains. In medico-legal practice statements on the probable sex of a decomposed body or part of a body are often expected even during autopsy. The present study was, therefore, restricted to few easily accessible dimensions from bones which were prepared only by mechanically removing soft tissues, tendons and ligaments. The specimens came from the Anatomical Institutes in Munich and Cologne from the years 1994-1998 including a total of 143 individuals (64 males and 79 females). The mean age was 79 years (46-108), the mean body height 161cm (134-189). The following measurements were taken: maximum humeral length (mean: 33.4cm in males; 30.7cm in females), vertical humeral head diameter (mean: 5.0cm in males, 4.4cm in females), humeral epicondylar width (mean: 6.6cm in males; 5.8cm in females), maximum ulnar length (mean: 26.5cm in males, 23.8cm in females), proximal ulnar width (mean: 3.4cm in males, 2.9cm in females), distal ulnar width (mean: 2.2cm in males; 1.8cm in females), maximum radial length (mean: 24.6cm in males; 22.0cm in females), radial head diameter (mean: 2.6cm in males, 2.2cm in females) and distal radial width (mean: 3.6cm in males; 3.2cm in females). The differences between the means in males and females were significant (P<0.0005). A discriminant analysis was carried out with good results. A percentage of 94.93% of cases were correctly classified when all measures of the radius were applied jointly, followed by humerus (93.15%) and ulna (90.58%). Applied singly, the humeral head diameter allowed the best distinction (90.41% correctly grouped cases), followed by the radial length (89.13%), the radial head diameter (88.57%) and the humeral epicondylar width (88.49%). The linear regression analysis for quantifying the correlation between the bone lengths and the stature led to unsatifactory results with large 95%-confidence intervals for the coefficients and high standard errors of estimate.     

Application of the discriminant analysis for the assessment of human somatotype using the long bones of extremities

Measurements were made on the basis of the osteological collection of the chair for anthropology, Moscow State University (70 cases), and on the basis of a series of skeletons (10 cases) from among burial places of the Novospassk Monastery (males aged above 18-20). Eleven sizes of Martin program (length, diaphysis circumference and epiphysis width) were fixed onto the humerus, radial, femoral and shin bones. Simultaneously, the development of the osseous relief elements in the above bones (a total of 18 signs in each skeleton) was evaluated by Fedosova program. The data was processed by SPSS. Discriminative analysis was used as a basis to work out a diagnostic model that can be used to determine a somatotype by the humerus, radial and femoral bones. The classification accuracy is 75%. The method should be applied in those cases, when the appropriate bones are available. If the available combination of bones is different from the above, the routine method is recommended for use, i.e. determination of a somatotype by the skeleton massiveness.     

Characteristics of the injuries to diaphyses of the long tubular bones in case of skew bending

The present experimental study was designed to elucidate specific morphological features emerging from the destruction of diaphyses of long tubular bones undergoing a combined strain/stress impact. It is concluded that the species-specific signs of the injuries to the long tubular bones can be used for the purpose of their differential diagnosis from other types of injuries.     

Investigation of osteoporotic changes of the long tubular leg bones for identification of human biological age

The authors propose to introduce into expert practice a number of methods estimating age-related osteoporosis by such quantitative characteristics as coefficient of optical transmission, optic density, porosity. The data confirm nonlinear dependence of age dynamics of osteoporotic changes which can be more effectively described by equations of polynomial regression.     

男性上肢长骨的测量及其最大长推算

目的探讨用上肢长骨的残骨某一项指标建立肱骨、尺骨和桡骨最大长的回规方程,然后可根据所得值间接推算人体身高。方法选男性肱骨、尺骨和桡骨50例,左、右共100侧肢体。用人体测量仪器,按体质人类学测量方法进行各项指标测量,所得值经统计学分析后,分别与肱骨、尺骨和桡骨最大长建立直线回规方程。结果经相关分析建立了肱骨最大长回规方程17个,尺骨最大长回规方程8个,桡骨最大长回规方程11个。结论若能测得上肢长骨残骨的某一项指标,就可用所建立的回规方程推算该骨的最大长,这在法医学上具有一定的参考价值。     

Diagnostics of the skeletal massiveness and human somatotype using hand bones

The skeleton massiveness (SM) and the somatotype of human constitution were determined on the basis of osteometry of bones of carpal and metacarpal bones (MB) and of phalanxes. Seventy male and 13 female skeletons from the collection of the chair for anthropology, Moscow State University, were investigated. Described are the results of examinations of 8 carpal bones made according to 3 signs (length, width, and height), and of 5 metacarpal bones made according to 4 signs (length, base and head width, and base height); investigation findings of finger phalanxes (in full) are also presented. Methods of current multidimensional statistics were used within the case study, i.e. related with the key components--for SM specification and the discriminative analysis--for constitution specification. The SM determination accuracy according to type A was 40%, according to type B--80%, according to type C--37.5% and according to type D--52.9%. The classification accuracy of constitutions by carpal bones was 50.0%, by MB--46.4%, and by MB plus finger phalanxes--48.1%. It is pointed out that it was for the first time that the elaborated quantitative criteria of osteometry of hand bones could be used in the expertise practice for the purpose of personality identification by osseous remains.     

中国人四肢长骨骨性标志间各段长度与总长关系的分析

利用碎裂的长骨片段 ,计算长骨的总长。选择中国人长骨 5 0 0余例 ,取其骨性标志分段测量记录 ,将测得的数据输入计算机 ,用社会科学软件包 (SPSS)中全回归法进行统计学处理。在得出的 33个多元回归方程中 ,方程1、 9、 18、 2 6证明了骨性标志间各段长度与总长的正相关关系 ,其余 2 9个方程是在有选择的略去 1个变量和因长骨近端、远端或两端缺损使 1个或 1个以上变量缺失的情况下得出。根据碎裂长骨片段骨性标志间的长度测量值 ,应用多元回归方程 ,可计算出长骨的总长     

Injury pattern on the hand after slipping onto the blade during a knife attack--a contribution to the differential diagnostic classification of sharp force injuries of the upper extremities

Differential diagnosis of injuries caused by accidental slipping of the hand onto the blade of a knife includes self-inflicted injuries (e.g. to simulate an offense) as well as active and passive defense injuries indicative of the involvement of another party. The injury pattern on the hands of five perpetrators who suffered accidental cuts during knife attacks, as seen by the authors during the clinical forensic examination, is presented. The injuries were localized on the ulnar aspect of the thumb facing the index finger, the radial aspect of the index finger facing the thumb and variable sites on the flexor or extensor side of the middle and ring fingers. Especially in those cases in which the injuries of the victim (e.g. involvement of bony structures) and the dominant hand of the perpetrator are known, additional information for the reconstruction of the course of events may be derived from the cut wounds occurring during the knife attack as the hand slipped onto the blade.     

The rapid determination of the ABO group from body fluids (or stains) by dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) using enzyme-labeled monoclonal antibodies

Using ABH enzyme-labeled monoclonal antibodies, the authors could rapidly detect the ABO group from body fluids and body fluid stains by the dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA). In this test, the antigen was immobilized on nitrocellulose paper; the entire piece of paper was coated with an appropriate dilution of enzyme-labeled McAb directly against the antigen of interest; and, finally, 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) substrate solution was added. The site of a positive reaction is clearly visible as a brown spot. We analyzed 521 samples and got satisfactory results. We also analyzed 99 practical case samples by this method and achieved the same results as those obtained by other researchers using other methods. This method is accurate, simple, direct, rapid, and sensitive; it also produces easily observed results, requires no equipment, and can be completed in 30 min. The test proved to be clearly more sensitive for the detection of the ABO blood group in secretor saliva than the conventional hemagglutination inhibition test. Also saliva diluted 10(-4) to 10(-5) and the ABO group of nonsecretor saliva and urine could be easily detected by this method.     

A new method of age determination by age-related changes in the hand bone

An anthropological method designed for determining the age is under discussion; it is based on the point-evaluation of age-related changes observed in the hand bones by X-Ray, i.e. osteophytes, osteoporosis, osteosclerosis and joint deformations. The method was made use of to elaborate a new modified point-based assessment of the above changes in the hand bones with respect to their severity.     

Fingerprint analysis for the determination of hand origin (right/left) using the axis slant in whorl patterns

Fingerprints are frequently encountered during both civil and criminal investigations. Fingerprints possess numerous characteristics that assist with personal identification. Determining the hand of origin (right or left) for an individual fingerprint would help reduce investigation time and potentially eliminate certain suspects. In this study, we collected a total of 2 900 single digit fingerprints from 290 individuals, and the whorl axis slant was examined in the 743 whorl pattern fingerprints (385 from the right hand and 358 from the left hand). A slant towards the right side was present in 81.82% of samples from the right hand, while a slant towards the left side was observed in 80.73% of samples from the left hand. After applying a chi-square test to the dataset, the results were found to be statistically significant for the determination of hand origin. Our results suggest that the whorl axis slant in a fingerprint is indicative of hand origin (right or left).

Key points

• Single digit fingerprints with whorl pattern were analyzed.
• Whorl “axis slant” was used to determine the hand origin.
• Right axis slant would indicate the right hand of the print.
• Left axis slant would indicate the left hand of the print.