The Role of Interface on the Impact Characteristics and Cranial Fracture Patterns Using the Immature Porcine Head Model

The role of impact interface characteristics on the biomechanics and patterns of cranial fracture has not been investigated in detail, and especially for the pediatric head. In this study, infant porcine skulls aged 2–19 days were dropped with an energy to cause fracturing onto four surfaces varying in stiffness from a rigid plate to one covered with plush carpeting. Results showed that heads dropped onto the rigid surface produced more extensive cranial fracturing than onto carpeted surfaces. Contact forces generated at fracture initiation and the overall maximum contact forces were generally lower for the rigid than carpeted impacts. While the degree of cranial fracturing from impacts onto the heavy carpeted surface was comparable to that of lower‐energy rigid surface impacts, there were fewer diastatic fractures. This suggests that characteristics of the cranial fracture patterns may be used to differentiate energy level from impact interface in pediatric forensic cases.     

胸腰椎压缩性骨折压缩程度评估方法比较

目的探讨胸腰椎压缩性骨折压缩程度不同评估方法间的差异。方法 1.选取211例胸腰椎压缩性骨折X线片资料,用4种方法以压缩椎体前缘高度分别与其后缘、上一椎体前缘、下一椎体前缘、上下椎体前缘高度均值比较,评估相应压缩程度并比较各方法间的差异。2.选取其中146例,测量压缩椎体相邻上方三个正常椎体高度,比较中位椎体前缘高度分别与其后缘、上一椎体前缘、下一椎体前缘、上下椎体前缘高度均值的差异。结果 1.压缩椎体前缘分别与后缘、上一椎体前缘、上下椎体前缘高度均值评估的压缩程度,两两组间P0.05;但压缩椎体前缘与后缘、下一椎体前缘评估组间P0.05。2.正常中位椎体前缘与后缘、上一椎体前缘、下一椎体前缘高度组间均P0.05,而与上下椎体前缘高度均值组间P0.05,且一致性较好。结论本文不同方法对胸腰椎骨折压缩程度评估存在差异,压缩椎体前缘与上下椎体前缘高度均值比较评估其压缩程度更准确。     

烧骨的研究现状与展望

本文根据国内外相关文献,对烧骨的宏观、微观形态学特点,烧骨形态特征与各影响因素之间的关系,热致骨折与损伤骨折、条件性骨折的鉴别等方面进行了综述,并对现有研究的局限之处进行了分析,提出改进方向。     

Multi-Rater Agreement Using the Adapted Fracture Healing Scale (AFHS) for the Assessment of Tubular Bones on Conventional Radiographs: Preliminary Study*

Better understanding of the timing of fracture healing may help in cases of interpersonal violence but also of personal identification. The intra- and inter-rater agreement for the adapted fracture healing scale (AFHS) assessing the post-traumatic time interval on radiographs were tested. This is a preliminary study, providing essential information on method reliability for upcoming studies using the AFHS. Five raters (two radiologists, a forensic pathologist, an orthopedist, and an anthropologist) were presented with a test in three parts consisting of 85 radiographs (from 30 adults) of fractures of tubular bones in different stages of healing purposefully selected from more than 1500 radiographs. The raters were firstly asked to assess 15 features describing fracture healing as present, absent, or not assessable. Thereafter, the raters were asked to choose from the AFHS a single-stage best representing the observed healing pattern. The intra- and inter-rater agreement were assessed using single-rating, absolute agreement, two-way mixed-effects intra-class correlation (ICC) coefficients. The intra-rater ICC of radiologist 1 ranged from 0.80 to 0.94. The radiologists’ inter-rater ICC ranged from 0.68 to 0.74, while it ranged from −0.01 to 0.90 for the other raters. The good to excellent ICC among the radiologists and forensic anthropologist provides good foundation for the use of the AFHS in forensic cases of trauma dating. The poor to good results for the other physicians indicate that using the AFHS requires training in skeletal anatomy and radiology.     

经伤椎置单向椎弓根螺钉结合十七味大活血胶囊治疗无神经损伤胸腰椎压缩性骨折疗效观察

目的 观察伤椎置入单向椎弓根螺钉结合十七味大活血胶囊口服在无神经损伤胸腰椎压缩性骨折治疗中的效果。方法 将67例无神经损伤胸腰椎骨折患者,根据患者最终选取的治疗方案分为对照组（n=45）和观察组（n=22）。对照组给予跨伤椎固定的基础上再经伤椎置入单向椎弓根螺钉固定,观察组在对照组的基础上使用自制十七味大活血胶囊口服。分别观察两组治疗前、治疗后1周、治疗后3个月椎前缘高度、椎中缘高度和后凸角度,视觉模拟量表（visual analogue scale,VAS）评分,日本骨科协会（Japanese Orthopaedic Association,JOA）评分。结果 与治疗前比较,两组治疗后1周、3个月椎前缘高度、椎中缘高度均明显增加（P＜0.05）,后凸角度均明显减小（P＜0.05）;观察组治疗后3个月椎前缘、椎中缘高度均明显高于对照组（P＜0.05）。与治疗前比较,两组治疗后VAS评分在治疗后1周、3个月均明显减少（P＜0.05）,JOA评分均明显增加（P＜0.05）。观察组治疗后VAS评分在治疗后1周、3个月均显著低于对照组（P＜0.05）,JOA评分明显高于对照组（P＜0.05）。结论 经伤椎置入单向椎弓根螺钉结合十七味大活血胶囊口服更利于伤椎前中柱交界处的复位,临床疗效更好。     

补肾填精法对兔骨折后不同时相骨髓间充质干细胞成骨分化的影响

目的 观察补肾填精中药对兔骨折后不同时点骨髓间充质干细胞(bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,BMSCs)分化为成骨细胞的影响。方法 将20只白兔随机分成4组,即正常对照组、骨折模型组、中药治疗组、西药治疗组。分离培养骨折端BMSCs,取P3代BMSCs并向成骨细胞诱导分化,分别采用碱性磷酸酶（alkaline phosphatase, ALP）试剂盒、骨钙素（osteocalcin, OCN）试剂盒检测ALP活性、OCN水平。结果 随着用药时间的延长,各骨折组ALP活性和OCN水平均逐渐增强。在骨折后第14、21天,中药治疗组ALP活性、OCN水平均高于其他3组。结论 补肾填精法可促进兔骨折后不同时点BMSCs向成骨细胞分化。     

新鲜鼻骨骨折CT诊断指标探讨

法医鉴定工作中,需要明确判断鼻骨骨折为新鲜形成,方可作为人体损伤鉴定的依据.通过案例追踪复查与已知陈旧鼻骨骨折对照及临床表现等方法,依据骨折断端锐利、骨折部位粘膜肿胀、软组织内有小片状低密度影等CT影像表现,结合伤后鼻面部肿胀、鼻出血、鼻腔通气不畅等临床表现作为新鲜鼻骨骨折的影像诊断指标.工作中,须重视鼻骨骨折新旧伤的...     

Photographic comparison of surface topography as a viable solution when physical match is challenging

Physical matching methods are a family of well‐known methods that are utilized in order to determine whether two pieces of a tearable/breakable material used to be one object. When performing physical match of polymers, it is sometimes difficult to reach an unambiguous conclusion. This is due to various reasons. One is when the tear/fracture resides in an inaccessible or hidden‐from‐view region of the piece. Another is when the shape of the tear/fracture at the object's tear/fracture line is insufficient for deducing a complete match. Third is deficiency of material along this line. These are examples of processes where the line is affected so drastically, so that a match renders impossible. Specifically, when addressing elastic materials, the tear/fracture line may even be squashed. This may also be a reason for difficulty in performing a physical match. In this paper, a method is proposed where a match is alternatively achieved by means of photographic comparison of marks on the surface topography of the pieces‐in‐question. Comparisons of pairs of torn pieces of silicon rubber were made. The procedure involved photography of the surface topography the pieces. Then, the photographs were horizontally mirror‐flipped. Lastly, a comparison was made between two photographs: a photograph of one piece and a mirror‐flipped photograph of the opposite piece. The results show that after comparing the pieces to one another, only one unique pair turned out to be positively matched. Using the proposed method, not only the comparison is done by a more informative method (comparing to physical match), it is also more convenient, faster, less expensive, and technically simpler.     

An unusual blunt force trauma pattern and mechanism to the cranial vault: Investigation of an atypical infant homicide

This case report presents an unusual fracture pattern in the cranium of a four-month-old infant indicative of child abuse. Upon postmortem examination, the infant presented with numerous bilateral linear cranial fractures running perpendicular to the sagittal suture with depressed and curvilinear fractures apparent on the supra-auricular surfaces of the cranium. Histological evidence indicates multiple traumatic events to the cranium. In addition, the stair-step pattern of a parietal fracture may represent multiple contiguous fractures from repeated loading of the head at different times with variation of the focal points of compressive force. Additionally, the left humerus, left radius, and left ulna have healing metaphyseal fractures, and the left ulna also has an antemortem diaphyseal fracture which resulted in the distal metaphysis being rotated 45 degrees medially. Integration of autopsy, anthropological, and neuropathological reports for this case suggest multiple inflicted injury episodes with a repeated atypical mechanism(s) to the cranial vault of the infant. During investigative interviews, the caretaker admitted to squeezing the infant's head and neck on multiple occasions to quiet the child. This reported abusive mechanism is consistent with the pattern of symmetric cranial fractures and soft tissue injuries indicating asphyxiation. This case report provides forensic investigators with a potential trauma mechanism to explore in cases when a similar pattern of cranial trauma is observed and highlights the need for greater research on fracture propagation and fracture healing in the infant cranium.     

Quantitative Assessment of the Sternal Rib End Morphology and Implications for Its Application in Aging Human Remains

Intercostal and age differences in the sternal rib end morphology of documented female skeletons from Spitalfields and St. Bride's are examined. The morphology was captured using three‐dimensional morphometrics and the statistical analyses employed included parametric and nonparametric MANOVA, discriminant analysis, and multilinear regressions. It was found that the quantified morphology of the sternal rib end was statistically significantly different between rib four and all other ribs except for the third one and that the morphological characteristics of all ribs varied with age. However, due to the inherent variability in sternal rib end morphology, nonstatistically significant results were obtained among the various age groups and neither disciminant nor multilinear regression analysis could be used for the estimation of the age of an individual based on digitized coordinates of the sternal rib end of individuals of known age, raising some concern as to the rigorousness of the fourth rib aging method.