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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.