Bone Fracture Interpretation in Anthropology and the Forensic Sciences

Over the years, bone trauma analysis has grown too big, too fast, and without proper reference material from which practitioners can evaluate and reflect on the observational research involved in the development of this discipline. The information in this book will offer a foundation for forensic scientists to obtain knowledge, comprehension, and application of the subject, and with the use of substantiated case studies, will provide an opportunity for researchers to analyze, synthesize and evaluate this material within the context of the discipline.

Bone Fracture Interpretation is organized into nine chapters that provide an all-encompassing discussion on the documentation, identification, description and interpretation of bone trauma from the perspective of an anthropologist. The chapters include: 1) introduction to bone trauma analysis in anthropology, 2) biomechanics of bone fractures, 3) taphonomy and pseudotrauma, 4) blunt trauma in bone, 5) sharp force injuries in bone, 6) ballistic trauma in bone, 7) recognition of repetitive and healed bone fractures, 8) fire/thermal-alteration to bone, and 9) deconstruction of bone trauma: tension, compression, shear and speed. Throughout the chapters, readers will be able to evaluate and reflect on their knowledge of fracture patterns and of fracture pattern recognition across the five major categories of trauma with substantiated case studies in bone trauma. The case studies are the foundation of most observational research in the discipline and thereby collectively form the knowledge currently used to describe and explain bone fractures within a medico-legal setting.

The book is to be compiled at the technical level of professionals while retaining applicability to graduate students.

• Comprehensively addresses the history, biomechanics, observational research, description and interpretation of bone fracture patterns with an application of assisting a forensic anthropologist or forensic pathologist in the cause and manner of death
• Fracture morphology, fracture patterns, and total body fracture patterns commonly seen in the Medical Examiner's Office are explained within five general categories of bone trauma, namely blunt, sharp, ballistic, burned and repetitive injuries (healed)
• Illustrative case studies are used to both address the complexity of bone trauma analysis and to present the information within a comprehensible framework. The latter will assist the reader to critically examine and reflect on their own case analysis and research