Blunt Force Trauma and Fracture Patterns Analysis After Extreme Heat Exposure

Renee Brancato

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: College of Business and Public Management

Major: BA.CRIMJUST-GENERAL

Faculty Research Mentor: Voulgari, Myrsini  

Abstract:

Throughout history fire has been seen in many cultures as having a sacrificial purpose, while it has also been used to conceal evidence of a crime. The study of forensic anthropology reveals important information through the analysis of skeletal remains in criminal investigations. In assessing the cause of death, the identification of traumatic injury is crucial. Identification of injuries, including blunt force trauma, can become increasingly difficult when the remains have been cremated. The skeletal remains that survive a fire will be fractured and severely fragmented with changes in color, shape and size changes. Extreme heat exposure can further obscure traumatic features through heat-induced damage, making the identification of trauma extremely difficult. The analysis between trauma-induced fractures and heat-related fractures is a critical factor in forensic investigations. To guide such an analysis the laws of bone biomechanics are applied, along with knowledge of the effects of extreme heat exposure. Heat-related fractures tend to follow patterns such as longitudinal cracking, transverse fractures and delamination while wet bone that experiences blunt force trauma may display curved fractures lines, plastic deformation and fractures edges which can be traced back to a single impact point. The fracture surfaces of burned bone differ significantly from wet bone, and the differences can be seen in the fracture pattern of each type of bone. This research will be conducted at the Skylands campus and will be focused on comparing skeletal fracture patterns in piglets following cremation. Two pigs will be cremated in an outdoor fire pit, one will act as a controlled subject, the other will be the experimental subject. The experimental subject will experience blunt force trauma to the cranium, upper and lower extremities using an aluminum alloy bat (33in, 22oz, 2 ¼ diameter), while the controlled subject will experience no traumatic injuries. Fire pit temperatures will be recorded during the cremation process, and color changes and cremation stages will be documented. After the destruction of soft tissue both subjects will be collected and examined side by side to assess fracture morphology.Key Words: Forensic Anthropology, Fracture Patterns, Blunt Force Trauma, Cremation, Bone Structure,