Publications by authors named "Wera M Schmerer"
Article Synopsis
- Articular cartilage can help determine how long a body has been deceased by observing changes in its structure.
- Scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of unique microcrystals on porcine cartilage after three weeks of burial, which then disappeared at six weeks.
- These crystals, potentially struvite, were linked to pH changes and bacterial activity, suggesting that analyzing articular cartilage might aid in forensic investigations.
Postmortem decompositional changes to articular cartilage were analysed to help establish a new methodology in determining the postmortem interval. The cartilage was collected from porcine trotters buried in simulated shallow graves for different time periods. The trotters were dissected to expose the cartilage located at the metatarsal joint.
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