{"title":"Internal blood loss in fatal liver lacerations - determining lethality from relative blood loss.","authors":"Sandra Holmgren, Torfinn Beer","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03323-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-024-03323-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Certificates of medical evidence are often used to aid the court in assessing the cause and severity of a victim's injuries. In cases with significant blood loss, the question whether the bleeding itself was life-threatening sometimes arises. To answer this, the volume classification of hypovolemic shock described in ATLS<sup>®</sup> is commonly used as an aid, where a relative blood loss > 30% is considered life-threatening. In a recent study of deaths due to internal haemorrhage, many cases had a relative blood loss < 30%. However, many included cases had injuries which could presumably cause deaths via other mechanisms, making the interpretation uncertain. To resolve remaining ambiguity, we studied whether deaths due to isolated liver lacerations had a relative blood loss < 30%, a cause of death where the mechanism of death is presumably exsanguination only. Using the National Board of Forensic Medicine autopsy database, we identified all adult decedents, who had undergone a medico-legal autopsy 2001-2021 (n = 105 952), where liver laceration was registered as the underlying cause of death (n = 102). Cases where death resulted from a combination of also other injuries (n = 79), and cases that had received hospital care, were excluded (n = 4), leaving 19 cases. The proportion of internal haemorrhage to calculated total blood volume in these fatal pure exsanguinations ranged from 12 to 52%, with 63% of cases having a proportion < 30%. Our results lend further support to the claim that the volume classification of hypovolemic shock described in ATLS<sup>®</sup> is inappropriate for assessing the degree of life-threatening haemorrhage in medico-legal cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"293-302"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11732863/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142125677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Cayor Atlas: a black Senegalese dental atlas for permanent tooth formation.","authors":"Sankoung Soumboundou, Christophe Bou, Safa Houari, Mamadou Lamine Ndiaye, Papa Abdou Lecor, Babacar Toure","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03322-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-024-03322-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Many aspects of tooth development have been documented, particularly in Caucasian populations. However, dental development has not been extensively studied in West Africa.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The present study was designed to provide information on the sequences of tooth calcification in West African black Senegalese children and to compare the results with those of other populations, notably the London Atlas.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 556 orthopantomograms (OPGs) from 289 males and 266 females with a mean age of 11.34 ± 3.84 years were analyzed. Demirjian A-H staging was applied to record the stages of tooth development. Tables of tooth development stages for each tooth were generated separately for age cohorts and by sex. The most common stage of tooth formation (modal) was the characteristic age stage of development. Differences between boys and girls and between maxillary and mandibular teeth were also analyzed using chi-squares. Accuracy was assessed by comparing the age estimated by the Dental Development Atlas for this population (Cayor Atlas) and the London Atlas tooth with chronological age using the Bland-Altman test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no significant difference in tooth development between girls and boys, p > 0.05. Maxillary teeth had similar dental development to mandibular teeth, p > 0.05. The Pearson correlation test showed a strong correlation between chronological age and the age estimated by the Cayor atlas, p < 0.001. The Bland-Altman test also showed greater accuracy than the London Atlas.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results show dental calcification sequences different from those of the London Atlas Tooth and the Witts Atlas (Atlas of Black South African Subjects).</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"219-235"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142286461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Oguzhan Ekizoglu, Ali Er, Mustafa Bozdag, Silke Grabherr
{"title":"Application of Vieth staging in forensic age estimation in the living using MRI of the distal radial epiphysis.","authors":"Oguzhan Ekizoglu, Ali Er, Mustafa Bozdag, Silke Grabherr","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03342-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-024-03342-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Forensic age estimation is crucial in various legal and civil contexts, particularly in regions experiencing significant migration and inadequate birth registration systems. This study evaluates the applicability of the Vieth staging system for forensic age estimation in the living using MRI of the distal radial epiphysis. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 620 left wrist MRI scans from individuals aged 9.92 to 29.58 years. The study demonstrated high intra- and inter-observer agreement values (κ = 0.974 and κ = 0.961), confirming the method's reliability. Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed significant positive correlations between age and ossification stage for both sexes. The minimum ages observed for males were 9.92 years at stage 2, 15.00 years at stage 3, 15.00 years at stage 4, 17.00 years at stage 5, and 20.00 years at stage 6. For females, the minimum ages were 10.08 years at stage 2, 12.33 years at stage 3, 14.25 years at stage 4, 16.33 years at stage 5, and 18.42 years at stage 6. The study supports the applicability of the Vieth methodology for forensic age estimation in the living and suggests that MRI could be a non-invasive and potentially effective tool for determining critical age thresholds in forensic contexts. Further research is recommended to refine these methods and explore their applicability across different populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"237-243"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11732875/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142375431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluating the accuracy of population-specific versus generic stature estimation regression equations in a South African sample.","authors":"Mubarak Bidmos, Desiré Brits","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03340-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-024-03340-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate estimates of stature play an important role in the personal identification of unknown decedents, however a drawback in the application of many stature estimation equations is the need for known sex and population, the assignment of which can be challenging. Researchers have formulated equations for stature estimation that are neither population- nor sex-specific and thereof the aim of this study was to assess the applicability of these stature estimation equations proposed by Albanese et al.. (2016) (Albanese J, Tuck A, Gomes J, Cardoso HFV (2016) An alternative approach for estimating stature for long bones that is not population- or group-specific. Forensic Sci Int 259:59-68). The physiological length of the femur, condylar malleolar length of the tibia and a combination of these measurements, collected from Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanograms of adult (20-60 years) White South African males (n = 30) and females (n = 44) were used to assess the accuracy of the Albanese et al. (Albanese J, Tuck A, Gomes J, Cardoso HFV (2016) An alternative approach for estimating stature for long bones that is not population- or group-specific. Forensic Sci Int 259:59-68). sex-specific and generic stature estimation equations. The stature estimates were compared with measured living stature (LSM), using paired t-tests. Results indicated that the Albanese et al. (Albanese J, Tuck A, Gomes J, Cardoso HFV (2016) An alternative approach for estimating stature for long bones that is not population- or group-specific. Forensic Sci Int 259:59-68). equations underestimated living stature by between 1.1 and 5.0 cm. These underestimations were significantly different between the LSM and the sex-specific estimates for females and the LSM and the generic estimates for males and the tibia for sex-specific equation. All stature estimates however fell in between two standard error of estimates for the sex-specific equations for males and the generic equations for the females. Although, the equations by Albanese et al. (Albanese J, Tuck A, Gomes J, Cardoso HFV (2016) An alternative approach for estimating stature for long bones that is not population- or group-specific. Forensic Sci Int 259:59-68). can be used to estimate stature in White South Africans in certain cases, the use of sex/population-specific equations remains the method of choice.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"411-418"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11732771/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142361475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lei Zhang, Linli Chen, Zhuoying Zhu, Chunyan Yuan, Hongwen Li
{"title":"Technical note: Y-chromosome short tandem repeat inconsistent typing for loci Y_GATA_H4, DYS481, DYS444, DYS635, DYS437, DYS533 and DYS570.","authors":"Lei Zhang, Linli Chen, Zhuoying Zhu, Chunyan Yuan, Hongwen Li","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03403-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03403-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) loci have significant research and application value in individual identification, parentage testing, kinship determination and genealogical DNA analysis due to their unique genetic characteristics. Currently, various commercial STR typing kits have used in forensic detection, which greatly promoting the scientific application of STR in criminal investigation and judicial trials. However, due to the complexity and specificity of biological samples, the special STR typing in the sample poses certain difficulties for the construction of DNA databases. In the current study, we explored the Y-STR genotyping in 4670 unrelated individuals using the Yfiler™ Platinum Kit, AGCU Y37 and AGCU Mini Y fluorescence detection kit in the Henan Province. We found that eight samples had inconsistent typing results. Among them, the genotyping inconsistency occurred twice for the Y_GATA_H4 locus, and once each for the loci DYS481, DYS444, DYS635, DYS437, DYS533 and DYS570. We sequenced and analyzed the inconsistent loci of these samples. Sequencing results indicated inconsistent typing due to low polymorphic repeat structures, Poly(N)n structures, single or multiple base insertions/deletions, and base transitions or transversions in flanking regions. Special attention should be paid to using the Y-STR database for family searches and paternity testing.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142894388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reliability of ameloglyphics in forensic identification: a systematic review.","authors":"Julia N Thenmozhi, Veena V Naik, Punnya V Angadi","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03401-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03401-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Teeth are considered as hard tissue analogue to fingerprints, being unique to an individual. The enamel which forms the outer layer of the tooth is formed through a highly dynamic process in which ameloblasts lay down enamel rods in an undulating and intertwining path, which is reflected as a series of enamel rod pattern. The study of these patterns is termed as \"Ameloglyphics\". These patterns formed on the surface of enamel are called tooth prints each of which comprises the combination of different sub patterns, and are unique for every single tooth of an individual. This characteristic of uniqueness of the tooth print can serve as a significant biometric tool in forensic identification.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To assess if ameloglyphics is an accurate and reliable method for forensic identification of individuals.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>Registration number- CRD42022338138. Data sources- Google Scholar, PubMed, Proquest, Europe PMC, Scopus. Study appraisal and synthesis methods- Studies were assessed for quality with the help of predetermined criteria which categorized the studies into high, medium and low quality with the help of JBI critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies using the key words such as Ameloglyphics, tooth prints and enamel rod end patterns.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 475 articles were obtained in the primary search from PubMed, Scopus, Europe PMC, ProQuest, and Google Scholar including gray literature for thorough search of related publications on Ameloglyphics. Following initial search of titles, 433 articles were excluded because they were not related to the objectives of the systematic review and 42 articles were further excluded after abstract reading and removal of duplicates. Finally,18 out of 22 articles which were fulfilling the inclusion criteria of the study were selected for qualitative synthesis after full-text screening and exclusion of review articles. The data obtained from the eighteen included studies were systematically reviewed but a meta-analysis could not be performed due to heterogeneity of the data.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ameloglyphics is a relatively newer technique and a fair number of research are done on its application in identification of individuals. The results of the eighteen studies included in this review suggest that Ameloglyphicsis an useful adjunct for forensic identification.</p><p><strong>Protocol registration: </strong>The study protocol can be accessed through the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, the PROSPERO database with the following register number: CRD42022338138.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142894380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soren Blau, Eden Johnston-Belford, Greg Markowsky, Samantha Rowbotham
{"title":"Evaluating juror understanding of traumatic head injury with different formats of evidence presentation in court: a follow up study.","authors":"Soren Blau, Eden Johnston-Belford, Greg Markowsky, Samantha Rowbotham","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03373-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03373-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Jurors rely on evidence presented in court to find the facts of a case. Consequently, the manner in which evidence is delivered may significantly impact the extent to which jurors comprehend and interpret the evidence. Building on a pilot study, the aim of this research was to further investigate which format for presenting forensic medical evidence in court was best for laypersons (i.e., jurors) to understand. This study presented a forensic medical testimony detailing a head injury to members of the community who had been called for jury duty. The evidence was presented using six different formats: verbal, autopsy photo, colour coded cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) image, volume rendered CT, three-dimensional (3D) print and interactive technology. Jurors found autopsy photographs to be more confronting than any other format. Verbal evidence was found to be the most complicated to understand, with volume rendered CT, the 3D print and interactive court technology being the least complicated. Jurors considered the 3D print easiest to understand, however when asked about the cause of the injuries, cause of death and severity of injuries, they showed there understanding was limited and the presentation format made little difference. These findings indicate that forensic medical evidence is inherently complex for a layperson to fully comprehend, regardless of the presentation format.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142894367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ivan Galić, Nikolaos Angelakopoulos, Stefano De Luca, Francesco De Micco, Federica Martino, Isabella Lima Arrais Ribeiro, Roberto Cameriere
{"title":"Comparison of original and new South African formulae for age estimation in African Black and white children and adolescents using dental and hand-wrist methods.","authors":"Ivan Galić, Nikolaos Angelakopoulos, Stefano De Luca, Francesco De Micco, Federica Martino, Isabella Lima Arrais Ribeiro, Roberto Cameriere","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03393-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03393-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Methods for age estimation in children involve measurements of: (1) the projections of open apices and tooth heights (T), (2) the total area of the carpal bones and the epiphyses of the ulna and radius (HW), and (3) a combination of these parameters (THW). This study aimed to compare the accuracy of the original formulae for T, HW, and THW in Black South African (BSA) and White South African (WSA) samples of children and adolescents.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The sample comprised 556 subjects, 164 BSA (71 males and 93 females) and 392 WSA (171 males and 221 females) aged 6 to 16 years. The main sample comprised 556 subjects and was divided into two parts. The first part was used to develop new formulae specific to the South African population, while the second part, consisting of 183 subjects and referred to as the test sample, was used to evaluate the accuracy of these formulae and to quantify their uncertainty when applied to real cases. Adjusted R<sup>2</sup> and standard errors of the estimate (SEEs) were calculated for each regression model. The mean absolute difference or error (MAE) between estimated and chronological age and the percentage of individuals within specific age ranges of ± 0.25, ± 0.5, ± 1, and ± 2 years of chronological age was used to compare the accuracy of formulae.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Teeth showed the most significant underestimation in the training sample, -0.49 years in males and - 0.29 years in females, as much as -0.70 years in WSA males, while BSA males were overestimated by + 0.03 years. Combining teeth and hand-wrist, the new formula showed the best performance in age estimation compared to only teeth or hand-wrist, except in WSA males (-0.51 years). New South African-specific formula improved accuracy, especially in males, suggesting their suitability alongside the original Cameriere et al. methods for precise age estimation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The original regression formulae by Cameriere et al., along with the newly developed formulaespecific to South African populations, shows promise for age estimation, considering potential estimation errors and the accuracy rates demonstrated in this study.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142877121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emmanuelle Charlot, Anas Gasser, Roelof-Jan Oostra, Maurice C G Aalders, Tristan Krap
{"title":"Fluorescence of various buried fresh and fresh-frozen-thawed tissue types up until the point of active decay: a human taphonomy study.","authors":"Emmanuelle Charlot, Anas Gasser, Roelof-Jan Oostra, Maurice C G Aalders, Tristan Krap","doi":"10.1007/s00414-024-03387-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-024-03387-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Forensic taphonomy is the study of postmortem changes of human remains for the purpose of answering legal investigative questions. Many variables can affect the pattern and rate of decomposition of remains, posing challenges for taphonomic studies and estimation of the postmortem interval. Given the gap in knowledge regarding the suitability of using frozen remains to extrapolate conclusions to fresh material, investigating the effects of freeze-thaw cycles followed by burial on human remains is vital for forensic practice and taphonomic research. This study explored the impact of a freeze-thaw cycle and subsequent burial on human tissue decomposition under semi-controlled field conditions. Fresh and fresh-frozen-thawed hands were buried at the Amsterdam Research Initiative for Sub-surface Taphonomy and Anthropology for 31.7 to 340.4 accumulated degree days. Decomposition was assessed using fluorescence measurements targeting protein and fluorescent oxidation products, and broader excitation-emission matrix measurements in skin, adipose, and muscle tissue. Decomposition trends varied primarily by treatment group: fresh samples generally aligned with expectations that protein levels would decrease over time while fluorescent oxidation products increased, whereas fresh-frozen samples deviated significantly from these expectations. Significant differences were found between protein and fluorescent oxidation products levels of fresh and fresh-frozen tissue at corresponding time points, indicating this method's potential in determining sample state. However, fluorophore peak monitoring in excitation-emission matrices did not prove useful in establishing decomposition trends or potentially distinguishing between sample states. Despite limitations inherent to pilot and human taphonomy studies, this study clearly demonstrates that differences exist in the decomposition of fresh and fresh-frozen tissue, and that these trends vary slightly by tissue type. We therefore conclude that frozen material cannot be considered a proper substitute for fresh tissue regarding taphonomic processes, and the methods used in this study show promise in being used to differentiate between pre-decomposition treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142864198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}