Human identification by medical findings in a forensic anthropology context

Abstract

This article presents a series of three complex forensic cases that posed significant challenges for identifying human remains. These include a mass dam disaster, burnt human remains, and extensively decomposed human remains. Positive identification was achieved using a shadow positioning technique with imaging comparisons of medical findings. After establishing the biological profile, medical data were evaluated with digital radiography and computed tomography (CT) exams of the human remains. These aimed to replicate the original (intravitam) traits in the same angulation to examine postsurgical characteristics, as well as the anatomical, pathological, and morphological features, which were sufficient to establish a positive scientific identification. Technological advancements tend to reveal additional skeletal details, making medical data comparisons significantly more effective in the context of anthropological identification. These cases demonstrate that the possibility of identification should never be ignored, even in situations with advanced decomposition.