An investigative strategy for assessment of injuries in forensic anthropology

Scianò, Filippo; Bramanti, Barbara; Manzon, Vanessa Samantha; Gualdi‐Russo, Emanuela

doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2019.101632

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(38 reference statements)

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“…Investigation for any traumatic lesions revealed the presence of two cranial circular holes ( Figure 2 ), each with a diameter of 1 cm, and located at the level of the parietal bones, near the meeting point between the sagittal suture and the lambdoid one. They were specularly positioned along an almost transversal axis, and they had margins with traces of bone remodeling, allowing us to establish that the two holes’ production occurred antemortem [ 23 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Torkildsen’s Ventriculocisternostomy First Applications: The Anthropological Evidence of a Young Slavic Soldier Who Died in the Torre Tresca Concentration Camp (Bari, Italy) in 1946

Sablone

Gallieni

Leggio

et al. 2021

Biology

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Human skeletal remains are considered as real biological archives of each subject’s life. Generally, traumas, wounds, surgical interventions, and many human pathologies suffered in life leave identifiable marks on the skeleton, and their correct interpretation is possible only through a meticulous anthropological investigation of skeletal remains. The study here presented concerns the analysis of a young Slavic soldier’s skeleton who died, after his imprisonment, in the concentration camp of Torre Tresca (Bari, Italy), during the Second World War (1946). In particular, the skull exhibited signs of surgical activity on the posterior cranial fossa and the parieto-occipital bones. They could be attributed to surgical procedures performed at different times, showing various degrees of bone edge remodeling. Overall, it was possible to correlate the surgical outcomes highlighted on the skull to the Torkildsen’s ventriculocisternostomy (VCS), the first clinically successful shunt for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion in hydrocephalus, which gained widespread use in the 1940s. For this reason, the skeleton we examined represents a rare, precious, and historical testimony of an emerging and revolutionary neurosurgical technique, which differed from other operations for treating hydrocephalus before the Second World War and was internationally recognized as an efficient procedure before the introduction of extracranial shunts.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Torkildsen’s Ventriculocisternostomy First Applications: The Anthropological Evidence of a Young Slavic Soldier Who Died in the Torre Tresca Concentration Camp (Bari, Italy) in 1946

Sablone

Gallieni

Leggio

et al. 2021

Biology

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“…None of the traumatic lesions on individual US-217's skull showed any evidence of a healing process. The comparison with the literature [9] and the diagnosis of the timing of the lesions carried out with a specific evaluation form [12] (ESM-Tab. S1) indicated that the traumas occurred at or around the time of death.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autopsy or anatomical dissection: evidence of a craniotomy in a 17th–eighteenth century burial site (Ravenna, Italy)

Scianò

Zedda

Mongillo

et al. 2020

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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Surgical procedures undergone in life, autopsies and anatomical preparations can all leave clearly identifiable traces on human skeletal remains. Several studies on skeletons from archeological contexts have identified traces of these practices. However, the distinction between medical/forensic autopsy and anatomical dissections for scientific research can be challenging. We report the case of a middle-aged female skeleton from the cemetery of the church of San Biagio (Ravenna, Italy), dating back to the 17th-19th centuries, that shows signs of a complete craniotomy. In an attempt to clarify the reason for this practice, we analyzed all pathological and non-pathological markers on the skeleton. We carried out anthropological analyses and osteometric measurements to determine the biological profile and the cranial capacity of the individual. Paleopathological investigation and analyses of traumatic injury patterns were carried out using both a morphological and a microscopic approach. While we observed that the craniotomy was performed with a rip saw, we identified perimortem blunt force trauma to the frontal bone and an osteolytic lesion on the inner surface of the frontal bone. No other pathology was recognizable on the skeleton. Our differential diagnosis confidently proved that the craniotomy was due to an autoptsy procedure and was not the result of an anatomical dissection. We believe that, among other possible reasons, failed surgery could likely be the motive behind the ordering of the autopsy.

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“…This is further supported by the wide semi‐V‐shaped cut marks on the long bones (Figure 4a,b) indicating the insertion of a heavy sharp or bladed object (Keil, 2009; Weber & Czarnetzki, 2001). The absence of bony response or any signs of bone remodeling suggest that they were inflicted peri‐mortem (Scianò et al, 2020). In the case of individual 115, the lesions on the humerus and the femur are similar in shape.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The absence of bony response or any signs of bone remodeling suggest that they were inflicted peri-mortem (Scianò et al, 2020). In the case of individual 115, the lesions on the humerus and the femur are similar in shape.…”

Section: Peri-mortal Lesions Of Individual 115mentioning

confidence: 96%

Prone burials and evidence of interpersonal violence: A case study from early medieval Bavaria, Germany

Lee

Zink

Päffgen³

et al. 2022

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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In early medieval times, the people of the Baiuvarii inhabited large parts of modern Bavaria (Germany). Among other evidence, about 10,000 graves dating from this time provide evidence of an exceptional level of settlement activity. These graves were arranged predominately in multiple parallel rows, so‐called Reihengräber, whereby the bodies were placed in stretched, supine positions. Burials that deviate from this custom are rarely found. For this reason, the excavation of a male skeleton at the cemetery of Aying‐Großhelfendorf (seventh to eighth centuries) attracted particular attention. The skeleton with label number 115 was found in a prone position and appears to have sustained four separate instances of sharp force trauma. The grave included a number of metal grave goods including a spatha and an iron shield boss. One focus of the study was on the macroscopic examination of the violence‐related lesions found on skeleton 115. They were located on the femur, the humerus, the frontal bone, and the maxilla on the right side of the body. The shape of the lesions indicates the insertion of a heavy, sharp, or bladed instrument. There is no evidence of healing detectable, leading to the conclusion that the individual was most likely involved in fight with fatal outcome. Subsequently, the victim was buried in a prone position alongside 17 other individuals in an otherwise regular graveyard. A possible interpretation of this difference in burial treatment is the fear of the victim's dependents of an unexpected or violent death or an expression of foreign origin. The aim of the paper is to present the most likely interpretation of the evidence in correlation with the anthropological and archaeological data.

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An investigative strategy for assessment of injuries in forensic anthropology

Cited by 11 publications

References 32 publications

Torkildsen’s Ventriculocisternostomy First Applications: The Anthropological Evidence of a Young Slavic Soldier Who Died in the Torre Tresca Concentration Camp (Bari, Italy) in 1946

Torkildsen’s Ventriculocisternostomy First Applications: The Anthropological Evidence of a Young Slavic Soldier Who Died in the Torre Tresca Concentration Camp (Bari, Italy) in 1946

Autopsy or anatomical dissection: evidence of a craniotomy in a 17th–eighteenth century burial site (Ravenna, Italy)

Prone burials and evidence of interpersonal violence: A case study from early medieval Bavaria, Germany

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