Deaths due to blunt force trauma to the head as a result of assault are some of the most common cases encountered by the practicing forensic pathologist. Previous studies have shown inflicting injury to the head region is one of the most effective methods of murder. The important factors that determine severity of trauma include the type of weapon used, type and site of skull fracture, intracranial haemorrhage and severity of brain injury. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of blunt force trauma to the skull produced by different instruments. Nine adult monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) skulls were used as models. Commonly found blunt objects comprising of Warrington hammer, hockey stick and open face helmet were used in this study. A machine calibrated force generator was used to hold the blunt object in place and to hit the skulls at forces of 12.5N and 25N. Resultant traumatic effects and fractures (linear, depressed, basilar, comminuted, and distastic) were analyzed according to type of blunt object used; surface area of contact and absolute force (N/cm(2)) delivered. Results showed that all investigated instruments were capable of producing similar injuries. The severity of trauma was not related to the surface area of contact with the blunt objects. However, only high absolute forces produced comminuted fractures. These findings were observational, as the samples were too small for statistical conclusions.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Liquid biopsy in organ damage: introduction of an innovative tool for assessing the complexity of blunt splenic injury.
Eur J Med Res
January 2025
Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, German Armed Forces Central Hospital, Koblenz, Germany.
Liquid biomarkers are essential in trauma cases and critical care and offer valuable insights into the extent of injury, prognostic predictions, and treatment guidance. They can help assess the severity of organ damage (OD), assist in treatment decisions and forecast patient outcomes. Notably, small extracellular vesicles, particularly those involved in splenic trauma, have been overlooked.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRethinking the pan scan in stable trauma: A comparison of whole-body computed tomography and selective imaging in clinically stable blunt force trauma.
Emerg Med Australas
February 2025
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Objective: To compare the frequency of clinically significant missed injuries in clinically stable trauma patients undergoing initial whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) versus selective imaging. Secondary objectives include comparisons of radiation exposure, incidental findings, ED length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS and mortality.
Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of trauma activations at a tertiary trauma centre in patients with normal vital signs from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022.
Nutraceuticals silybin B, resveratrol, and epigallocatechin-3 gallate-bind to cardiac muscle troponin to restore the loss of lusitropy caused by cardiomyopathy mutations , , and .
Front Physiol
December 2024
National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Introduction: Adrenergic activation of protein kinase A (PKA) in cardiac muscle targets the sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and contractile apparatus to increase contractile force and heart rate. In the thin filaments of the contractile apparatus, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) Ser22 and Ser23 in the cardiac-specific N-terminal peptide (NcTnI: residues 1 to 32) are the targets for PKA phosphorylation. Phosphorylation causes a 2-3 fold decrease of affinity of cTn for Ca associated with a higher rate of Ca dissociation from cTnC leading to a faster relaxation rate of the cardiac muscle (lusitropy).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEscalating Risks: Injury Patterns in Escalator-Related Trauma.
Cureus
November 2024
Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, USA.
Falls from escalators, although infrequent, can result in a wide array of injuries, ranging from minor lacerations to fatal outcomes. This retrospective study aims to detail the treatment and outcomes of eight patients who sustained blunt-force trauma from escalator falls and received care at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California. Among these eight patients, seven required hospitalization, with three necessitating intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and two patients ultimately succumbing to their injuries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiffuse Axonal and Vascular Pathology in the Gyrencephalic Brain after High-Energy Blunt Injury: Clinicopathological Correlations Involving the Brainstem.
J Neurotrauma
December 2024
Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) after high-energy, behind helmet blunt trauma (BHBT) is an important but poorly understood clinical entity often associated with apnea and death in humans. In this study, we use a swine model of high-energy BHBT to characterize key neuropathologies and their association with acute respiratory decompensation. Animals with either stable or critical vital signs were euthanized within 4 h after injury for neuropathological assessment, with emphasis on axonal and vascular pathologies in the brainstem.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!