Artefactual contraction band necrosis of the myocardium in fatal air crashes.

Background: The detection of conditions associated with possible medical incapacitation is a crucial component of the aviation autopsy. Acute myocardial ischemia is notoriously difficult to diagnose at autopsy, although various pathological markers may strongly support a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction occurring just prior to the crash.

Hypothesis: Contraction band necrosis may not be a reliable indicator of acute myocardial ischemia in aircraft crashes because of the forces on myocardial tissue sustained in the crash.