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Examination of Blunt Force Skeletal Injuries
as a Result of Falls from Heights
Michele Kumar
Faculty Sponsor: Alice Fazlollah, MS, Department of Geography and Anthropology
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
• Damage to the skeleton can be
extensive with falls from
heights.
Falls from heights can be the result of an accident, a
suicide, or a homicide. Using the definition proposed
by Kremer et al. (see Fig. 2) the area can be
identified, making it easier to determine if another
specialist is needed. With skull fractures, often the
left side may signify blows to the head, whereas if the
individual has fallen the fractures are often on the
right side. With blunt trauma, skeletal fractures follow
a specific pattern, which depends whether the
individual jumped on purpose, fell by accident, or
was pushed or thrown by another person.
Radiography allows forensic scientists to see which
bones are fractured. If trauma is low-velocity it is
considered blunt trauma, and falls from heights are
usually blunt force unless the deceased makes
contact with another surface that creates a different
type of trauma, i.e. sharp force trauma. Certain
preexisting pathologies such as those that cause low
bone density (i.e. osteoporosis) can make bones
more brittle and porous. In this state they are easier
to fracture. Certain surfaces create different types of
fractures, depending on the angle and velocity of
impact with that surface, as well as the position with
which the individual finally lands.
• Using measurements such as
the height of the fall, the weight
of the individual to calculate
acceleration due to gravity,
velocity of the launch speed,
and the take-off distance in
cases of homicide or suicide,
certain occurrences can be
predicted (Cross 2006:93).
• The position of the body, in
conjunction with the surface
and angle of impact can
identify skeletal trauma in
cases where the manner of
death is unknown.
• Although forensic
anthropologists do not
determine cause of death, this
type of information is useful in
understanding fractures to
bone in order to distinguish
between antemortem,
perimortem, and postmortem
trauma.
• Fractures on bones are seen
with greater frequency in
specific areas depending on
whether the death was a
homicide, an accident, or a
suicide.
CONTACT
Michele Kumar
[email protected]
Kennesaw State University
SAMPLE AND METHODS
The literature reviewed included cases, studies, and
articles related to low-velocity blunt force trauma
specifically due to falls from heights. The falls from
heights included accidents, suicides, and homicides.
FINDINGS
With skull fractures, often the left side may signify blows to
the head, whereas if the individual has fallen the fractures
are often on the right side. With blunt trauma, skeletal
fractures follow a specific pattern, which depends whether
the individual jumped on purpose, fell by accident, or was
pushed or thrown by another person. Radiography allows
forensic scientists to see which bones are fractured. If
trauma is low-velocity it is considered blunt trauma, and
falls from heights are usually blunt force unless the
deceased makes contact with another surface that creates
a different type of trauma, i.e. sharp force trauma. Certain
preexisting pathologies such as those that cause low bone
density (i.e. osteoporosis) can make bones more brittle
and porous. In this state they are easier to fracture.
Certain surfaces create different types of fractures,
depending on the angle and velocity of impact with that
surface, as well as the position with which the individual
finally lands.
Trauma found on the skeleton followed patterns of
injury that were similar depending on the
circumstances surrounding the individual’s death.
Methods used for identifying skeletal trauma due to
falls from heights:




Cranial trauma will not be present above the HBL if
all the following conditions are met (Fracasso
2011:1662):
•
Standing position of the body before falling
•
Fall from individual’s own height.
•
Floor is flat, without incline or stairs
•
Absent from other impeding obstacles
Trauma to skeleton is not always blunt force if the
individual meets a corner or edge of another surface.
CONCLUSIONS
More research is needed for areas that could allow a
forensic anthropologist to recreate the circumstances
of a fall. This would allow for a better understanding
regarding the pattern of injury sustained during a fall.
Types of fractures present, found from various
heights related to initial velocity of a fall and the takeoff distance, could provide more insight preventing
certain work related accidents. It is useful to ensure
dangerous areas are unavailable to would-be
jumpers or an individual with criminal intent.
REFERENCES
Side lateralization
Hat Brim Line
Areas with skeletal trauma
Calculating initial velocity (Guyomarc’h et al.
2009:1463)
Cross, Rod
2006 Fatal Falls from a Height: Two Case Studies. Journal of Forensic Sciences
51(1):93-99.
Kremer, Célia, Stéphanie Racette, Charles-Antoine Dionne, and Anny Sauvageau
2008 Discrimination of Falls and Blows in Blunt Head Trauma: Systematic Study of
the Hat Brim Line Rule in Relation to Skull Fractures. Journal of Forensic
Sciences 53(3):716-719.
1
𝑔𝑥2
2 𝑥.𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 − 𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝑣0 =
, Where V = velocity, g =
2
acceleration due to gravity, and h = height of fall
 D = VT + d (Cross 2006:93).
V = velocity, T = time (seconds), d = takeoff
distance, and D = landing distance
DISCUSSION
FIG 2 – Hat Brim Line
Guyomarc’h, Pierre, Maude Campagna-Vaillancourt, Amir Chaltchi, and Anny
Sauvageau
2009 Skull Fracture with Brain Expulsion in a One-Level Jumping-Fall. Journal of
Forensic Sciences 54(6):1463-1465.