Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2024 |
Outros Autores: | , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/52657 https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owae048 |
Resumo: | Identification of unidentified remains involves a comparison of ante- and postmortem features using biological identifiers. Anthropological identifiers, referred to by International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) as secondary identifiers, have often been judged less reliable than DNA, fingerprints and dental records (referred to as primary identifiers). However, anthropological identifiers have been proven as discriminatory as the primary sources in many instances, and play a decisive role in positive identification. To guarantee better use of anthropological identifiers, it is not only essential to develop standard protocols and statistical frameworks, but also to test different identification approaches in cases from daily practice. Evidence of skeletal antemortem trauma can be a valuable aid in the identification process, especially if the exact type of traumatic event causing the injury is identified. Here, we present a case in which the combination of anthropological analysis and imaging confirmed an interesting and unique sequence of antemortem traumatic events in incomplete skeletal remains. The remains were assumed to pertain to an individual who went missing several years earlier, and whose medical records revealed a unique history of trauma to the right femur. The individual had sustained a fracture due to a fall from a high height followed, 10 years after the primary trauma, by a gunshot wound to the same bone; both treated by intramedullary nail fixation. While the anthropological analysis matched the biological profile of the missing individual and identified a healed defect to the right femur compatible with a gunshot wound, the radiological examination indicated that the bone underwent three surgical procedures on different occasions. Radiological examination also identified a pre-existing healed fracture adjacent to the gunshot defect. In addition to presenting the identification process in this specific case, this article discusses the difficulties in antemortem trauma interpretation, importance of combining macroscopic and radiological analysis to aid the reconstruction of previous traumatic events and mechanisms of injury from healed fractures that can play important roles in forensic human identification. |
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Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposesAntemortem TraumaForensic AnthropologyIdentificationSecondary IdentifiersIdentification of unidentified remains involves a comparison of ante- and postmortem features using biological identifiers. Anthropological identifiers, referred to by International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) as secondary identifiers, have often been judged less reliable than DNA, fingerprints and dental records (referred to as primary identifiers). However, anthropological identifiers have been proven as discriminatory as the primary sources in many instances, and play a decisive role in positive identification. To guarantee better use of anthropological identifiers, it is not only essential to develop standard protocols and statistical frameworks, but also to test different identification approaches in cases from daily practice. Evidence of skeletal antemortem trauma can be a valuable aid in the identification process, especially if the exact type of traumatic event causing the injury is identified. Here, we present a case in which the combination of anthropological analysis and imaging confirmed an interesting and unique sequence of antemortem traumatic events in incomplete skeletal remains. The remains were assumed to pertain to an individual who went missing several years earlier, and whose medical records revealed a unique history of trauma to the right femur. The individual had sustained a fracture due to a fall from a high height followed, 10 years after the primary trauma, by a gunshot wound to the same bone; both treated by intramedullary nail fixation. While the anthropological analysis matched the biological profile of the missing individual and identified a healed defect to the right femur compatible with a gunshot wound, the radiological examination indicated that the bone underwent three surgical procedures on different occasions. Radiological examination also identified a pre-existing healed fracture adjacent to the gunshot defect. In addition to presenting the identification process in this specific case, this article discusses the difficulties in antemortem trauma interpretation, importance of combining macroscopic and radiological analysis to aid the reconstruction of previous traumatic events and mechanisms of injury from healed fractures that can play important roles in forensic human identification.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionOxford University Press2024-10-29T14:49:55Z2024-10-292024-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/52657http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/52657https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owae048engPetaros, A., Lindblom, M., & Cunha, E. (2024). Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes. Forensic sciences research, 9(3), owae048.2471-1411https://academic.oup.com/fsr/article/9/3/owae048/7736091http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessPetaros, AnjaLindblom, MariaCunha, Eugéniareponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-11-02T04:23:53Zoai:comum.rcaap.pt:10400.26/52657Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openairemluisa.alvim@gmail.comopendoar:71602024-11-02T04:23:53Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes |
title |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes |
spellingShingle |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes Petaros, Anja Antemortem Trauma Forensic Anthropology Identification Secondary Identifiers |
title_short |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes |
title_full |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes |
title_fullStr |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes |
title_sort |
Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes |
author |
Petaros, Anja |
author_facet |
Petaros, Anja Lindblom, Maria Cunha, Eugénia |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Lindblom, Maria Cunha, Eugénia |
author2_role |
author author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Petaros, Anja Lindblom, Maria Cunha, Eugénia |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Antemortem Trauma Forensic Anthropology Identification Secondary Identifiers |
topic |
Antemortem Trauma Forensic Anthropology Identification Secondary Identifiers |
description |
Identification of unidentified remains involves a comparison of ante- and postmortem features using biological identifiers. Anthropological identifiers, referred to by International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) as secondary identifiers, have often been judged less reliable than DNA, fingerprints and dental records (referred to as primary identifiers). However, anthropological identifiers have been proven as discriminatory as the primary sources in many instances, and play a decisive role in positive identification. To guarantee better use of anthropological identifiers, it is not only essential to develop standard protocols and statistical frameworks, but also to test different identification approaches in cases from daily practice. Evidence of skeletal antemortem trauma can be a valuable aid in the identification process, especially if the exact type of traumatic event causing the injury is identified. Here, we present a case in which the combination of anthropological analysis and imaging confirmed an interesting and unique sequence of antemortem traumatic events in incomplete skeletal remains. The remains were assumed to pertain to an individual who went missing several years earlier, and whose medical records revealed a unique history of trauma to the right femur. The individual had sustained a fracture due to a fall from a high height followed, 10 years after the primary trauma, by a gunshot wound to the same bone; both treated by intramedullary nail fixation. While the anthropological analysis matched the biological profile of the missing individual and identified a healed defect to the right femur compatible with a gunshot wound, the radiological examination indicated that the bone underwent three surgical procedures on different occasions. Radiological examination also identified a pre-existing healed fracture adjacent to the gunshot defect. In addition to presenting the identification process in this specific case, this article discusses the difficulties in antemortem trauma interpretation, importance of combining macroscopic and radiological analysis to aid the reconstruction of previous traumatic events and mechanisms of injury from healed fractures that can play important roles in forensic human identification. |
publishDate |
2024 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2024-10-29T14:49:55Z 2024-10-29 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/52657 http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/52657 https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owae048 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/52657 https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owae048 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Petaros, A., Lindblom, M., & Cunha, E. (2024). Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes. Forensic sciences research, 9(3), owae048. 2471-1411 https://academic.oup.com/fsr/article/9/3/owae048/7736091 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Oxford University Press |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Oxford University Press |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
instname_str |
Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
collection |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
mluisa.alvim@gmail.com |
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1817548674647982080 |