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Cited by 4Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesForensic Entomology and Diptera StudiesAutopsy Techniques and Outcomes

Microscopic characteristics of peri- and postmortem fracture surfaces

Skinner, Jessica, Langley, Natalie, Fahrenholtz, Samuel, Shanavas, Yuktha, Waletzki, Brian, Brown, Robert, Herrick, James, Shyamsunder, Loukham +2 more·2024·Forensic Science International
DOI 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112223
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Abstract

This study investigated if microscopic surface features captured with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) effectively discriminate fracture timing. We hypothesized that microscopic fracture characteristics, including delamination, osteon pullout, and microcracks, may vary as bone elasticity decreases, elucidating perimortem and postmortem events more reliably than macroscopic analyses. Thirty-seven unembalmed, defleshed human femoral shafts from males (n=18) and females (n=2) aged 33-81 years were fractured at experimentally simulated postmortem intervals (PMIs) ranging from 1 to 60 warm weather days (250-40,600 ADH). A gravity convection oven was used to approximate tissue decomposition at 37 C and 27 C, and the resulting heat-time unit (accumulated degree hours, or ADH) was used to examine fractures in elastic/wet versus brittle/dry bone. The bones were fractured with a drop test frame using a three-point bending setup, sensors were used to calculate fracture energy, and high-speed photography documented fracture events. The following data were collected to relate fracture appearance to the biomechanical properties of bone: PMI (postmortem interval) length in ADH, temperature, humidity, collagen percentage, water loss, bone mineral density, cortical bone thickness, fracture energy, age, sex, cause of death, and microscopic fracture feature scores. SEM micrographs were collected from the primary tension zones of each fracture surface, and three microscopic fracture characteristics were scored from a region of interest in the center of the tension zone: percentage of delaminated osteons, percent osteon pullout, and number of microcracks. Multiple linear regression showed that microscopic fracture surface features are strong predictors of ADH (adjusted R-squared=0.67 for the 0 - 40,000 ADH samples; adjusted R-squared=0.92 for the 0-16,000 ADH samples). Osteon pullout is the single best predictor of ADH. Additionally, water loss is the primary driver of bone elasticity changes in low ADH samples, while collagen fibers appear to remain intact until later in the postmortem interval (approximately 40,000 ADH in this study). The results of this study indicate microscopic fracture surface analysis detects the biomechanical effects of decreased elasticity more reliably and with greater sensitivity than macroscopic analysis.

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. K. Hentschel, D. Wescott, Differentiating peri-mortem from postmortem blunt force trauma by evaluating fracture tension surface topography using geographic information systems., Proceedings of the 67th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences., American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Colorado Springs, CO, USA:, 2015, pp. p. 16–21.
  2. U.S.A.S.A.A. National Institute of Standards and Technology, ANSI/ASB Standard 147, Standard for Analyzing Skeletal Trauma in Forensic Anthropology, First Edition, Department of Commerce, 2024.
  3. J. Skinner, N. Langley, M. Joseph, J. Herrick, R. Brown, B. Waletzki, P. Goguen, L. Shyamsunder, S. Rajan, Do bone elasticity and postmortem interval affect forensic fractographic analyses?, 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences., Seattle, WA, (2022). · DOI
  4. R. Satish, Fractography of Fresh vs. Dry Bones, Master's thesis, Boston University, (2020).
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Authors
Skinner, J., Langley, N., Fahrenholtz, S., Shanavas, Y., Waletzki, B., Brown, R., Herrick, J., Shyamsunder, L., Goguen, P., & Rajan, S.
Affiliations
  • Mayo Clinic in Arizona (US)
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University (US)
  • MilliporeSigma (United States) (US)
  • Mayo Clinic (US)
  • Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
  • Arizona State University (US)
Corresponding author
Skinner, Jessica
ORCID
Venue
Forensic Science International
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-12
Volume
365
Pages
112223
ISSN
0379-0738 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112223
OpenAlex
W4402404712
Cited by
4
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 4
FWCI
6.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Forensic Science International (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes
Keywords
postmortem interval estimation, fractography, delamination, microcracks, bone elasticity, postmortem decomposition, femoral shaft fracture, fracture energy, collagen degradation, water loss, forensic taphonomy, skeletal remains
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomechanical Phenomena, Collagen, Elasticity, Female, Femoral Fractures, Humans, Humidity, Male, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Middle Aged, Postmortem Changes, Temperature, Bone Density, Forensic Pathology

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