An Examination of the Transition of Fracture Characteristics in Long Bones from Fresh to Dry in Central Florida: Evaluating the Timing of Injury
Open accessAbstract
It is important to conduct timing of injury research analyzing fracture characteristics at known postmortem intervals (PMI) because bone can retain fresh characteristics throughout the PMI. Defleshed pig (Sus scrofa) long bones were fractured weekly in two environments (full sun and shade) over 14 weeks in Central Florida and fracture characteristics were categorized (N = 136) for analysis. Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) using time in weeks (PMI) as a dependent variable indicate significant relationships between PMI and Fracture Angle (p < 0.001), Fracture Surface (p < 0.001), and Fracture Outline (p < 0.001). Fracture characteristics associated with perimortem trauma (smooth Fracture Surfaces and curved or V‐shaped Fracture Outlines) were commonly observed. Analysis of fracture characteristics for each environment demonstrated similar patterns. Overall, the loss of only fresh fracture characteristics for each bone was noted earlier in the PMI for the Central Florida region than previously reported.
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- Authors
- Green, A. E., & Schultz, J. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Central Florida (US)
- Corresponding author
- Green, Ashley E.
- ORCID
- Schultz, John J.
- Venue
- Journal of Forensic Sciences
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2016-11-16
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 282-291
- ISSN
- 0022-1198 (ISSN-L)
- 1556-4029
- OpenAlex
- W2554891848
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 1.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Journal of Forensic Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes
- Keywords
- fracture behavior, long bones, postmortem interval, injury timing, perimortem trauma, fracture angle, fracture morphology, Central Florida
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Desiccation, Femoral Fractures, Florida, Humeral Fractures, Postmortem Changes, Sunlight, Swine, Tibial Fractures, Weather, Forensic Anthropology, Models, Animal
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