A Case of Contested Cremains Analyzed Through Metric and Chemical Comparison

Since the 1980s, cremation has become the fastest growing area of the U.S. funeral industry. At the same time, the number of litigations against funeral homes and cremation facilities has increased. Forensic anthropologists are often asked to determine whether the contents of an urn are actually cremated bone, and to address questions regarding the identity of the remains. This study uses both metric and chemical analyses for resolving a case of contested cremains. A cremains weight of 2021.8 g was predicted based on the decedent's reported stature and weight. However, the urn contents weighed 4173.5 g. The urn contents also contained material inconsistent with cremains (e.g., moist sediment, stones, ferrous metal). Analysis using XRD and SEM demonstrated that the urn contained thermally altered bone as well as inorganic material consistent with glass fiber cement. Although forensically challenging, cremains cases such as this one can be resolved using a multidisciplinary approach.     

Estimation of Age Using Alveolar Bone Loss: Forensic and Anthropological Applications

The objective of this study was to utilize a new odontological methodological approach based on radiographic for age estimation. The study was comprised of 397 participants aged between 9 and 87 years. A clinical examination and a radiographic assessment of alveolar bone loss were performed. Direct measures of alveolar bone level were recorded using CT scans. A medical examination report was attached to the investigation file. Because of the link between alveolar bone loss and age, a model was proposed to enable simple, reliable, and quick age estimation. This work added new arguments for age estimation. This study aimed to develop a simple, standardized, and reproducible technique for age estimation of adults of actual populations in forensic medicine and ancient populations in funeral anthropology.     

A Rare Case of an Intact Bone Plug Associated with a Gunshot Exit Wound

This case study presents an unusual manifestation of gunshot trauma in skeletal tissue from a post‐World War II human rights abuse sample uncovered in Vilnius, Lithuania. After briefly reviewing the typical wound appearance of projectile trauma in the cranium, we discuss the presence of an intact bone plug associated with a gunshot exit wound in an individual from the Tuskulenai Case. While this individual demonstrated typical gunshot entry and exit wounds to the cranium consistent with high‐velocity trauma, the bone plug indicates that the projectile likely lost much of its kinetic energy while traveling through the cranium resulting in a low‐velocity impact at the exit site. This study reviews a similar instance of a bone plug recovered from a bioarcheological sample in Peru and emphasizes the importance of thorough archeological excavations of mass graves.     

Metric Sex Determination of the Human Coxal Bone on a Virtual Sample using Decision Trees

Decision trees provide an alternative to multivariate discriminant analysis, which is still the most commonly used in anthropometric studies. Our study analyzed the metric characterization of a recent virtual sample of 113 coxal bones using decision trees for sex determination. From 17 osteometric type I landmarks, a dataset was built with five classic distances traditionally reported in the literature and six new distances selected using the two-step ratio method. A ten-fold cross-validation was performed, and a decision tree was established on two subsamples (training and test sets). The decision tree established on the training set included three nodes and its application to the test set correctly classified 92% of individuals. This percentage was similar to the data of the literature. The usefulness of decision trees has been demonstrated in numerous fields. They have been already used in sex determination, body mass prediction, and ancestry estimation. This study shows another use of decision trees enabling simple and accurate sex determination.     

43例手舟骨骨折成伤机制的法医学分析

目的分析手舟骨骨折成伤机制的法医学鉴定要点,为法医学鉴定实践提供参考。方法选取2007—2011年在中国刑事警察学院物证鉴定中心鉴定后已结案的手舟骨骨折成伤机制鉴定案件共43例,对手舟骨骨折初诊漏、误诊情况,骨折分型,伴发损伤,成伤机制分歧点等方面进行分析。结果手舟骨骨折初诊漏、误诊率高,以腰部骨折最多见,成伤机制分歧主要集中于系外力直接打击还是倒地摔跌间接作用所致。结论手舟骨骨折多为跌倒时手掌着地致腕关节过度背伸所致。     

青少年骨龄鉴定及其相关问题

本文综述了骨龄研究和应用历史,以及骨龄评测的新方法和新技术,讨论了骨骼发育的影响因素、骨龄标准时效性、骨龄评测部位选择及法医骨龄鉴定等相关问题。     

正常鼻骨细微解剖结构的MSCT影像学形态及法医学鉴定

目的：通过对正常鼻骨多层螺旋CT （multi-slice spiral CT,MSCT）扫描及三维图像特征的观察,总结鼻骨细微解剖结构。方法对120例鼻骨无外伤史、无疾病史的志愿者行鼻区MSCT横断面扫描,重建层厚0.6 mm、层距0.5 mm的骨窗图像并导入Syngo Imaging XS软件中,进行三维图像重组。观察并分析鼻骨细微解剖结构的形态特征。结果正常鼻骨的细微解剖结构由四缝、两孔及一缘组成。其中四缝包括左、右鼻颌缝,鼻额缝以及鼻间缝,两孔为左、右鼻骨孔,一缘是鼻骨下缘。在某些个体,鼻间缝间会出现游离的缝间骨。鼻骨孔多为小孔状,但也有少数个体为线条状。鼻骨下缘可分为平直型、波浪型、倒尖峰型、月牙铲型以及其他类型。结论鼻骨解剖形态多样化且个体差异性较大,采用MSCT及三维图像重组技术,结合其外伤史有利于正确分辨鼻骨正常解剖结构和骨折。     

Sampling and statistical considerations for the Suchey–Brooks method for pubic bone age estimation: Implications for regional comparisons

Although the Suchey–Brooks (SB) system is currently the most widely used method for age-at-death estimation from the pubic bone, the system continues to evolve through stepwise improvements. Since the system was developed from a pubic bone sample derived mainly from North Americans, it is unclear how well it performs on populations from other continents. During the last decade, studies of the SB system on pubic bone samples from local populations in Europe and Asia have indicated regional differences in the relationship between age and pubic bone development. However, these studies have for the most part followed different research protocols, which make comparisons between their results less meaningful. It would be most useful if future regional analysis of the SB system were done in a rigorous and uniform fashion, following standard procedures. In this paper, sampling and statistical considerations are outlined that hopefully will help to standardize research on the SB system.     

The effects of corrosive substances on human bone, teeth, hair, nails, and soft tissue

Abstract: This research investigates the effects of household chemicals on human tissues. Five different human tissues (bone, tooth, hair, fingernails, and skin/muscle/fat) were immersed into six different corrosive agents. These agents consisted of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, lye, bleach, organic septic cleaner, and Coca‐Cola^® soda. Tap water was used as a control. Tissue samples were cut to consistent sizes and submerged in the corrosive liquids. Over time, the appearance, consistency, and weight were documented. Hydrochloric acid was the most destructive agent in this study, consuming most tissues within 24 h. Sulfuric acid was the second most destructive agent in this study. Bleach, lye, and cola had no structural effects on the hard tissues of the body, but did alter the appearance or integrity of the hair, nails, or flesh in some way. The organic septic cleaner and tap water had no effect on any of the human tissue tested during the timeframe of the study.     

A method for studying knife tool marks on bone

The characteristics of knife tool marks retained on hard tissues can be used to outline the shape and angle of a knife. The purpose of this study was to describe such marks on bone tissues that had been chopped with knives. A chopping stage with a gravity accelerator and a fixed bone platform was designed to reconstruct the chopping action. A digital microscope was also used to measure the knife angle (θ) and retained V-shape tool mark angle (ψ) in a pig skull. The κ value (elasticity coefficient; θ/ψ) was derived and recorded after the knife angle (θ) and the accompanied velocity were compared with the proportional impulsive force of the knife and ψ on the bone. The constant impulsive force revealed a correlation between the V-shape tool mark angle (ψ) and the elasticity coefficient (κ). These results describe the tool marks--crucial in the medicolegal investigation--of a knife on hard tissues.