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An Anthropological Examination of the Types of Skeletal Fractures Resulting from Fatal High (˃3 m) Free Falls, |
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| Authors: | Samantha K Rowbotham MArSc Soren Blau PhD Jacqueline Hislop‐Jambrich PhD Victoria Francis MBBS MSc |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006 AustraliaCorresponding author: Samantha K. Rowbotham, M.Ar.Sc. E‐mail:;2. Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006 Australia;3. Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006 Australia;4. Centre for Medical Research, Toshiba Medical, 12 – 24 Talavera Road, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2113 Australia |
| Abstract: | Fatal falls from heights (?3 m) often result in blunt force trauma (BFT) to the skeleton. The fracture patterns that result from this BFT mechanism are well understood in forensic anthropology and forensic pathology; however, details of the specific types of fractures that result remain poorly documented. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed examination of the types of fractures that may result from fatal high falls. Fractures were recorded from 95 full‐body postmortem computed tomography scans of individuals known to have died from a high fall. Trauma was then analyzed taking into account the extrinsic and intrinsic variables known to influence a fall using multiple logistic regression. A total of 339 types of fractures were classified, of which 16 were significantly associated with this BFT mechanism. Classified fracture types will augment anthropological interpretations of the circumstances of death from BFT in cases of suspected high falls. |
| Keywords: | forensic science forensic anthropology high free fall fracture types skeletal trauma blunt force trauma postmortem computed tomography |