Analysis of Bone Healing in a Postoperative Patient: Skeletal Evidence of Medical Neglect and Human Rights Violations

This study highlights complexities associated with postsurgical trauma interpretation of a 76‐year‐old female patient from a psychiatric institution in Mexico. The skeletal analysis identified complications from an unsuccessful surgical operation for an intertrochanteric fracture of the femur. An improperly placed surgical plate resulted in nonunion due to limited contact between fracture margins. However, it is unclear whether this resulted from surgical complications, ineffective postoperative care, or from the decedent's limited ability to follow postoperative care instructions. Additionally, failure of the plate resulted in degenerative changes to the acetabulum. These complications, associated with degenerative changes to upper limb joints, suggest significant mobility issues. The pattern of antemortem trauma and contextual information support a conclusion of postoperative medical neglect, a documented problem in psychiatric institutions in Latin America. This study provides insight into the relevance of detailed trauma assessment of skeletal remains in cases where neglect and human rights violations are suspected.     

骨生丸治疗股骨颈骨折后早期股骨头坏死的实验研究

目的：探讨中药制剂骨生丸治疗股骨颈骨折后早期股骨头坏死的作用机制。方法：按照Kenzora方法,复制大白兔凤骨颈骨折后早期股骨头坏死动物模型,灌药4周后断头取血,取出股容、血沉、还原粘度、聚集指数及纤维蛋白等血液流变性指标。结果：骨生丸能够有效地降低空骨陷窝率,改善血液流变性状态。结论：骨生丸通过逆转股骨颈骨折后早期股骨头坏死的股骨头缺血状态,促进股骨头坏死修复而起治疗作用。     

肋骨骨折影像学在法医鉴定中的应用及相关问题

肋骨骨折法医学的诊断主要依靠医学影像学检查结果,影像学的误诊或漏诊将直接影响鉴定意见的准确性,从而可能导致刑事或民事案件的审判错误。本文详尽地总结和分析了肋骨骨折各种影像学检查技术的优缺点、漏误诊原因、法医学鉴定现状及法医鉴定时需考虑的因素,以提高法医学鉴定的准确性。     

A radiographic assessment of pediatric fracture healing and time since injury

Past studies and pediatric bone physiology indicate that younger individuals may heal at a faster rate. Additionally, in adults upper limb fractures heal faster than lower limb fractures; this trend is expected for pediatric fractures. This study aims to evaluate and compare rates of fracture repair in children based on age and skeletal element. Six stages are used to describe the bone repair process in 294 radiographs of tibial and radial fractures from 107 infants and young children. Healing rates are examined using ANOVA and Welch's t-test with a 95% confidence interval. Results indicate that younger individuals spend less time at stage 1, suggesting a delay in the start of healing. Furthermore, forearm fractures heal faster than leg fractures at stages 2 and 3, suggesting a role in the osseous reaction of bone healing. The healing schedule presented may allow the timing of injuries to be estimated from radiographs.     

Flail Chest Following Failed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Following the death of a woman with blunt force chest trauma, the question was asked how common was the finding at autopsy of a flail chest in decedents after failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It was suggested in court that this was an uncommon occurrence. To address this issue, autopsy cases in adults (>18 years) with rib fractures attributable to cardiopulmonary resuscitation were taken from the files of Forensic Science SA over a 7‐year period from 2008 to 2014. Flail chest injuries were defined as those arising from fractures at two sites in at least three consecutive ribs. From 236 cases with rib fractures attributed to resuscitation, a total of 43 flail chest injuries were found in 35 cases (14.8%). The majority occurred in the 60‐79‐year‐old age group. These data suggest that flail chest injuries are a more common sequelae of cardiopulmonary resuscitation than has been previously appreciated in autopsy cases, particularly in the elderly.     

家庭暴力致骨折损伤机制分析1例(英文)

本文报道了一名37岁女性遭受丈夫殴打,造成下肢受伤。医院诊断为右髌骨和左胫骨骨折,伤者遂接受了切开复位内固定术。由于丈夫否认对其实施家庭暴力,声称其下肢骨折系交通事故坠落伤。警方遂委托对该女性的损伤进行法医学鉴定。经过审阅X线和CT检查资料,结果为伤者右侧髌骨骨折、左胫骨骨折,以及左眶内侧壁骨折。鉴定意见为髌骨的横向骨折系由肌肉的牵拉暴力引起,左胫骨损伤符合直接和间接外力所致,左眶内侧壁骨折在施暴期间形成的可能性较大。本文阐述了运用影像学技术对家庭暴力案件与交通事故损伤进行鉴别,强调了影像学技术在法医临床鉴定中的应用价值。     

An Examination of the Transition of Fracture Characteristics in Long Bones from Fresh to Dry in Central Florida: Evaluating the Timing of Injury

It is important to conduct timing of injury research analyzing fracture characteristics at known postmortem intervals (PMI) because bone can retain fresh characteristics throughout the PMI. Defleshed pig (Sus scrofa) long bones were fractured weekly in two environments (full sun and shade) over 14 weeks in Central Florida and fracture characteristics were categorized (N = 136) for analysis. Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) using time in weeks (PMI) as a dependent variable indicate significant relationships between PMI and Fracture Angle (p < 0.001), Fracture Surface (p < 0.001), and Fracture Outline (p < 0.001). Fracture characteristics associated with perimortem trauma (smooth Fracture Surfaces and curved or V‐shaped Fracture Outlines) were commonly observed. Analysis of fracture characteristics for each environment demonstrated similar patterns. Overall, the loss of only fresh fracture characteristics for each bone was noted earlier in the PMI for the Central Florida region than previously reported.     

Suicidal Decapitation by Hanging—A Population‐based Study

A prospective study was undertaken at Forensic Science SA over a 15‐year period from July 2002 to June 2017 for all cases of adult (>18 years) suicidal hangings with decapitation. A total of 1446 cases of suicidal hangings were identified from a general population of approximately 1.5 million (1206 males—age range 18–97 years, average 42.6; and 240 females—age range 18–96 years, average 40.1). Only three cases of decapitation were found, all from long‐drop hangings; these consisted of three males (ages 32–55 years; average 45 years). Spinal transections had occurred between the first and second, second and third, and third and fourth cervical vertebrae, respectively. In this study, the number of suicidal hangings with decapitation represented only 0.2% of the total number of hangings. These events are therefore extremely rare, most likely due to most suicidal hangings occurring from relatively low levels in a domestic environment.     

A Unique Type of Birth Trauma Mistaken for Abuse

Pediatric abusive head trauma is a challenging subject across many disciplines. Of particular importance is the identification of mimics of abuse, so cause and manner of death can be properly assigned. We present the case of suspected child abuse involving an infant who presented unresponsive to the hospital with hypoglycemia, hypothermia, and bilateral parietal fractures. An autopsy revealed fractures associated with organizing scalp hemorrhage and gross leptomeningeal congestion and hemorrhage. The fractures were circular with external displacement, rounded margins, and subperiosteal new bone formation indicative of healing. Birth records revealed vacuum assist and cesarean section delivery. Although vacuum extraction‐related injuries are typically cephalohematomas and/or linear fractures, the outbending and circular morphology of the fractures are consistent with vacuum extraction. Moreover, microscopic neuropathological examination revealed hemorrhagic purulent leptomeningitis. This unique case demonstrates the importance of considering birth trauma in the determination of cause and manner of death of an infant.     

Assessing Impact Direction in 3‐point Bending of Human Femora: Incomplete Butterfly Fractures and Fracture Surfaces,,

Current literature associates bending failure with butterfly fracture, in which fracture initiates transversely at the tensile surface of a bent bone and branches as it propagates toward the impact surface. The orientation of the resulting wedge fragment is often considered diagnostic of impact direction. However, experimental studies indicate bending does not always produce complete butterfly fractures or produces wedge fragments variably in tension or compression, precluding their use in interpreting directionality. This study reports results of experimental 3‐point bending tests on thirteen unembalmed human femora. Complete fracture patterns varied following bending failure, but incomplete fractures and fracture surface characteristics were observed in all impacted specimens. A flat, billowy fracture surface was observed in tension, while jagged, angular peaks were observed in compression. Impact direction was accurately reconstructed using incomplete tension wedge butterfly fractures and tension and compression fracture surface criteria in all thirteen specimens.