Sharp force trauma analysis without animal bones: A proposal for sustainable and ethical bone proxies.

Abstract

Sharp force trauma has been the leading cause of homicide in England and Wales for more than a decade. Experimental research on sharp force trauma frequently relies on animal bone as a substitute for human remains, yet their ethical acceptability and comparability to human bone remain contested. This study aims to identify non-animal proxy materials capable of replicating the morphological characteristics of cut marks typically observed in porcine bones. A total of 250 cuts were made on pig ribs and on several proxy materials (paraffin, restoration compound, plaster, and beeswax) using a serrated knife. Six morphological traits were then recorded following the analytical framework proposed by Steiger and Borrini (J Forensic Sci, 2024;69:1972). Chi-squared tests of independence and mixed-model analyses demonstrated that different proxy materials vary in their suitability for specific traits, and that among all tested materials, beeswax most closely replicated porcine bone in the context of cut marks produced with a serrated blade. Considering the ethical implications of using animal bone, this research proposes sustainable, cruelty-free alternatives for experimental and educational purposes. Their adoption reflects contemporary ethical awareness regarding animal use in science and promotes ecological and economic sustainability through reusability.