EXAMINATION OF BONES difference between medical report and

EXAMINATION OF BONES

difference between medical report and medical certificate � A medical certificate is a statement from a physician or other health care provider that attests to the result of a medical examination of a patient.

Usually done by Forensic Experts � Some states – Anatomy people � Questions by police officer 1. Whether the bones are human or not? 2. If human, whether they are male or female? 3. Whether they belong to one or more individual? 4. The stature of the individual to whom the bones belonged � 3

5. The age of the individual to whom the bones belonged. 6. The time of death. 7. Whether the bones have been cut, sawn, gnawed by animals or burnt? 8. The probable cause of death. 4

1. General description Arrange, list, photograph Sand, dust – Acetone Soft tissues – Boiled 5

2. Are the remains actually bone/not Anatomical structure Microscopic exam 3. Human/Animal Anatomical Difficult- Small, fragmented, burnt � Precipitin test � Microscopic exam � Chemical analysis of bone ash 6

Precipitin test � Principle: › Precipitin › Anti-human precipitin serum TECHNIQUE 7

8

4. Sex - After puberty, except pelvis - Pelvis, skull, femur, humerus Scars of parturition- pubic symphysis Greater sciatic notch Medullary index- Long bones Krogmans’ Rule - Pelvis – 95% Skull – 90% - P + S – 98% Long bones – 80% - Entire skeleton – 100% 9

5. One / more individual Reconstructing the skeleton - Reduplication - Disproportion - Articulation - Sex - Age - Race - Co-mingling of bones 10

Co-mingling of bones � If mixing of bones from more than one skeleton is suspected, they can be separated by the use of a shortwave ultraviolet lamp by the difference in the colour emissions 11

6. Stature - Long bones � Karl Pearson’s formulae � Trotter & Glesser formulae � Pandith � Nath and singh � Siddique � Harrison & Dupetroid formulae - Hepburn's osteometric board Stature =( Length X GF )+ FF

Hepburn's osteometric board 13

- Steele formulae- Fragmented bones - Not valid – Children’s Gigants Dwarfs � Rule of thumb for stature - Humerus – 20% Tibia – 22% - Femur - 27% Spine – 35% 14

7. Age � Eruption of teeth: when ever skull and mandible are available. � Ossification centers – A & F � Closure of cranial vault sutures: if the skull is intact � Bony lipping – 35 to 40 yrs � Gustaffson's technique: � Changes in mandible. � Symphysial pubis changes in Articular surfaces 15

Sternum – 4 pieces of body of sternum 14 to 25 yrs. Xiphoid unites with body 40 yrs. � Hyoid bone – Greater cornua of hyoid bone fuses with body at 40 to 60 yrs. � Sacrum – Becomes single bone 21 to 25 yrs. � Changes at margin of the glenoid cavity of scapula. � 16

8. Race - Skull – Cephalic index - Bones of lower limb 9. Identification - Teeth - Bones -Surgical procedures -spinal deformity - Skull – Superimposition -previous dental radiograph and x-rays-contours and 17 cancellous patterns of various bones

10. Time since death Factors- Burial, soil, climate, insects, animal - Soft tissue remnants – 1 – 3 months - Joint capsule & ligaments – 3 – 5 months. - Recent bone – Greasy, heavy, odour. - Completely dry but has putrid smell – 3 month -1 year. - Completely dry & no putrid smell –more than 1 yr. - Periosteum – Several months 18

Dating of bones - Nitrogen – 4 -5 gm% Recent 3. 5 gm% 50 to 100 yrs - Fluorescence with UV light < 100 yrs Absent 500 yrs - Precipitin test Negative after 10 yrs - Histological >50 yrs –Pockets of resorption - By estimation of C 14 (half life – 5600 yrs) � 19

11. Injuries - Ends of long bones – Clean cut, sawn, gnawed - No injury – Smooth - Burns – Brittle - AM / PM - PM conditions may cause fractures and fragmentation due to continued and repeated freezing and thawing and from the pressures of shifting soil weight. 20

12. Cause of death - In most cases not possible. - Ante mortem # covering vital organ-skull bones, upper cervical vertebra, hyoid bone, several ribs or , marks of deep cuts in long bones or marks of burning. - Ante mortem # covering non vital organ – Death due to serious assault -Bones should be examined for firearm injuries. - Metallic poisons arsenic, antimony, lead or mercury. 21

Cause of death ANY FATAL INJURIES NO (ABSENT) YES (PRESENT) POISONING (HEAVY METAL) DROWNING CHEMICAL ANALYSIS DIATOM TEST +VE -VE = NATURAL DEATH +VE = UNNATURAL DEATH FRACTURE HEALING OF FRACTURE ANTE MORTEM ORIGIN POST MORTEM ORIGIN

EXAMINATION REPORT Requisition � Received one bone from Dept. of FM � Date, Time & Place of exam � Bone is dry, devoid of soft tissues & nonfoulsmelling � Belongs to human being � Belongs to one individual/ more than one � Sex � Age Sl. NO Name of Age of Fusion Finding in � ossification Centre Appearance the given bone Inference

� Secondary ossification centers- A & F � � � Race - Cephalic index- B/L x 100 Stature - Long bones- L x GF + FF Injury Time since death Cause of death Opinion The given bone is a human……. bone belonging to a male/female individual aged >……. yrs & <……. . yrs. Date: Designation: Place: Signature 24

Questions � 1) Precipitin Test? � 2) Name various methods to determine stature by long bones? � 3) Hepburn osteometric board? � 4) How do you determine time since death by examination of bones? � 5) Skeletenization? � 6) MLI of age 7, 10, 12, 14, 18, 21 and 25? 25

� 6) Poisons found ( Detected) in bones (nails & hairs)? � 7) How do you determine cause of death by examination of bones? � 8) Krogmans’ Index? � 9) Rule of thumb of stature? � 10) Co-mingling? � 11) superimposition 26

Autopsy questions � 1) Write brief about collection, preservation and packing of viscera for chemical analysis? � 2) Difference between postmortem lividity and bruise? 27

Visit us at � forensicmedicinejaguar. weebly. com 28

K N A H T U O Y 29