A comparison between rib fracture patterns in peri- and post-mortem compressive injury in a piglet model.

Objectives: Forensic biomechanics is increasingly being used to explain how observed injuries occur. We studied infant rib fractures from a biomechanical and morphological perspective using a porcine model.

Methods: We used 24, 6th ribs of one day old domestic pigs Sus scrofa, divided into three groups, desiccated (representing post-mortem trauma), fresh ribs with intact periosteum (representing peri-mortem trauma) and those stored at -20°C.