Analysis of microtraces in invasive traumas using SEM/EDS

Vermeij, Erwin; Zoon, Peter; Chang, S.B.C.G.; Keereweer, I.; Pieterman, René; Gerretsen, Reza

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.07.025

Cited by 49 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Furthermore, even if beveling is present, it may not always indicate bullet trauma as other mechanisms can produce identical defects. Vermeji et al (29) describe circular cranial defects with internal beveling, originally diagnosed macroscopically as gunshot trauma, which were in fact revealed by SEM energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) to be produced by blunt force trauma. In addition to its diagnostic value, beveling is also considered to reveal trajectory information when it is asymmetrically distributed around the lesion, with the direction of greatest beveling suggesting the path of the projectile (34).…”

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confidence: 99%

Scanning Electron Microscope Analysis of Gunshot Defects to Bone: An Underutilized Source of Information on Ballistic Trauma

Rickman

Smith

2014

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Recent years have seen increasing involvement by forensic anthropologists in the interpretation of skeletal trauma. With regard to ballistic injuries, there is now a large literature detailing gross features of such trauma; however, less attention has been given to microscopic characteristics. This article presents analysis of experimentally induced gunshot trauma in animal bone (Bos taurus scapulae) using full metal jacket (FMJ), soft point (SP), and captive bolt projectiles. The results were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additional analysis was conducted on a purported parietal gunshot lesion in a human cranial specimen. A range of features was observed in these samples suggesting that fibrolamellar bone response to projectile impact is analogous to that observed in synthetic composite laminates. The results indicate that direction of bullet travel can be discerned microscopically even when it is ambiguous on gross examination. It was also possible to distinguish SP from FMJ lesions. SEM analysis is therefore recommended as a previously underexploited tool in the analysis of ballistic trauma.

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confidence: 99%

Scanning Electron Microscope Analysis of Gunshot Defects to Bone: An Underutilized Source of Information on Ballistic Trauma

Rickman

Smith

2014

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…Metallic elements detected on the surface could be linked to the weapon used and could be deeply useful to supply peculiar data to accurately detect the object. Although EDS could deliver results with a strong probative value, it is subject to a detection limit that hinders it to deeply discriminate different type of steel [7,8].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The employment of SEM/EDS allowed finding no gunshot residues on the bone surface: it highlighted the presence of other elements, corresponding to the chemical composition of a metal rod found near the skeletal remains, related to a bicycle lock. In case of injuries due to knife action, particles of the tool can remain on the involved surface due of the impact: these elements can be distinguished through the support of the SEM/EDS [7].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Skeletal Remains: Solving a Homicide Case with Forensic Anthropology and Review of the Literature

Donato¹,

Aless²,

Luca³

et al. 2016

J Forensic Anthropol

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The present study examines a case in which signs of incised wounds were found on skeletal remains of a murder victim. The authors have studied the skeletal remains and the dynamics of the murder in order to reconstruct the kind of weapon utilized. The bones examined belonged to a woman that had disappeared from almost 10 years and where recovered from the garden of the house belonging to her former partner. The main feature of these remains was the discovery of a damage of a thoracic vertebra (T1). Our examination has the objective to enhance the macroscopic analysis of the skeletal remains in order to deduce information about the classification of specific damages and the dynamics that have caused them and the identification of the weapon that had been used. Highly decomposed bodies, as in skeletal remains, having poor or absent biological tissue on it, challenge the operator to classify the exact nature of the damage, and in some cases, it does not allow achieving a significant level of certainty. In order to solve this critical situation, Forensic Anthropology may contribute greatly by supplying a great amount of information that would not be deciphered otherwise. The bone, main study object of the Forensic Anthropology, may also register, as the soft tissues, the features of the damaging pattern. The opportunity to extrapolate this kind of data, allows analysing the dynamics and the nature of the kind of weapon used. In certain cases the incised bone present also features that allow to identify the exact structure of the weapon: of course, not every wound damages the bone, but when this actually happens, the morphological appearance of the instrument utilized remains crystallized in time, excluding of course the cases in which the bones are destroyed. Many other studies, concerning the characterization of lesions due to sharp objects, have been done and a review of related literature has been included in this article. The major goal of the authors is to highlight the importance of the information that can be extrapolated: the usefulness of the classification of the weapons used to provoke the lesion, could reach a more accurate evaluation in order to significantly help in case of forensic assessment.

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confidence: 99%

“…This has shown to be promising for material differentiation, but is limited for discriminating between materials with similar Ca/P ratios as bone such as mineral apatites, rock phosphates, and certain types of octocoral and brachiopod shells. Due to its high specificity, minimally destructive testing and small sample requirements (6)(7)(8) scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/ EDX) has been suggested as a method for performing such discriminations (4). Assessed for its utility in differentiating osseous from nonosseous materials, Ubelaker et al (4) were the first to determine that the Ca/P ratios and minor element profiles in dental and osseous tissues could be used to differentiate osseous from nonosseous materials in their samples with the exceptions of ivory, mineral apatite, and certain types of coralall of which are similar in composition to bone.…”

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confidence: 99%

Chemical Differentiation of Osseous and Nonosseous Materials Using Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy‐Dispersive X‐Ray Spectrometry and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Meizel-Lambert

Schultz

Sigman

2015

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Identification of osseous materials is generally established on gross anatomical features. However, highly fragmented or taphonomically altered materials may be problematic and may require chemical analysis. This research was designed to assess the use of scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDX), elemental analysis, and multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis) for discrimination of osseous and nonosseous materials of similar chemical composition. Sixty samples consisting of osseous (human and nonhuman bone and dental) and non-osseous samples were assessed. After outliers were removed a high overall correct classification of 97.97% was achieved, with 99.86% correct classification for osseous materials. In addition, a blind study was conducted using 20 samples to assess the applicability for using this method to classify unknown materials. All of the blind study samples were correctly classified resulting in 100% correct classification, further demonstrating the efficiency of SEM/EDX and statistical analysis for differentiation of osseous and nonosseous materials.

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Analysis of microtraces in invasive traumas using SEM/EDS

Cited by 49 publications

References 16 publications

Scanning Electron Microscope Analysis of Gunshot Defects to Bone: An Underutilized Source of Information on Ballistic Trauma

Scanning Electron Microscope Analysis of Gunshot Defects to Bone: An Underutilized Source of Information on Ballistic Trauma

Study of Skeletal Remains: Solving a Homicide Case with Forensic Anthropology and Review of the Literature

Chemical Differentiation of Osseous and Nonosseous Materials Using Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy‐Dispersive X‐Ray Spectrometry and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

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