Combining anthropology and imaging to reconstruct antemortem trauma for identification purposes

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Petaros, Anja
Data de Publicação: 2024
Outros Autores: Lindblom, Maria, Cunha, Eugénia
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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spelling 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/
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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
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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
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