Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse Concealment
Fatal neck injuries represent a major challenge in forensic pathology because the anatomical complexity and high variability of neck structures make it often extremely difficult to differentiate true pathological findings from artifacts at autopsy. This topic becomes even more relevant when the fore...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/4/510 |
| _version_ | 1797620744007450624 |
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| author | Ilaria Tarozzi Lorenzo Franceschetti Valentina Bugelli |
| author_facet | Ilaria Tarozzi Lorenzo Franceschetti Valentina Bugelli |
| author_sort | Ilaria Tarozzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fatal neck injuries represent a major challenge in forensic pathology because the anatomical complexity and high variability of neck structures make it often extremely difficult to differentiate true pathological findings from artifacts at autopsy. This topic becomes even more relevant when the forensic pathologist is required to make a pathophysiological evaluation of bone fractures in the absence of soft tissue to support the diagnosis. We report a case of unidentified, stone-covered, skeletonized human remains found within a pit below an abandoned building with bony lesions of the cervical spine and ribs, including a full-thickness fracture of the right lateral mass of the atlas (C1). After a careful study of the fractures was carried out by screening forensic literature and anthropological studies, clinical neurosurgical expertise was called upon to provide a reliable explanation. A rapid and violent twisting of the neck in the opposite direction from the fracture site by an attacker who pinned the victim’s torso is the scenario that most likely occurred in our case. This case report shows that the diagnosis of cervical spine injuries in skeletal remains should be the result of a multidisciplinary approach that integrates forensic, anthropological, and clinical expertise. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:46:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7d9c56a81c01427aac0cae21dcacf9e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:46:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d9c56a81c01427aac0cae21dcacf9e22023-11-16T20:46:15ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-02-0111451010.3390/healthcare11040510Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse ConcealmentIlaria Tarozzi0Lorenzo Franceschetti1Valentina Bugelli2Azienda USL Modena, U.O.C. Medicina Legale e Risk Management, 41126 Modena, ItalyIstituto di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milano, ItalyAzienda USL TOSCANA SUD EST, U.O. Medicina Legale, 58100 Grosseto, ItalyFatal neck injuries represent a major challenge in forensic pathology because the anatomical complexity and high variability of neck structures make it often extremely difficult to differentiate true pathological findings from artifacts at autopsy. This topic becomes even more relevant when the forensic pathologist is required to make a pathophysiological evaluation of bone fractures in the absence of soft tissue to support the diagnosis. We report a case of unidentified, stone-covered, skeletonized human remains found within a pit below an abandoned building with bony lesions of the cervical spine and ribs, including a full-thickness fracture of the right lateral mass of the atlas (C1). After a careful study of the fractures was carried out by screening forensic literature and anthropological studies, clinical neurosurgical expertise was called upon to provide a reliable explanation. A rapid and violent twisting of the neck in the opposite direction from the fracture site by an attacker who pinned the victim’s torso is the scenario that most likely occurred in our case. This case report shows that the diagnosis of cervical spine injuries in skeletal remains should be the result of a multidisciplinary approach that integrates forensic, anthropological, and clinical expertise.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/4/510neck injuriesforensic anthropologyskeletonizedmultidisciplinary approach |
| spellingShingle | Ilaria Tarozzi Lorenzo Franceschetti Valentina Bugelli Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse Concealment Healthcare neck injuries forensic anthropology skeletonized multidisciplinary approach |
| title | Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse Concealment |
| title_full | Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse Concealment |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse Concealment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse Concealment |
| title_short | Assessment of Cervical Skeletal Trauma: The Synergistic Contribution of Forensic and Clinical Medicine to a Case of Corpse Concealment |
| title_sort | assessment of cervical skeletal trauma the synergistic contribution of forensic and clinical medicine to a case of corpse concealment |
| topic | neck injuries forensic anthropology skeletonized multidisciplinary approach |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/4/510 |
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