Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Centre, Amsterdam Centre for Forensic Science and Medicine, Science Park, Building 904, 1098XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Firearms and Ammunition, Netherlands Forensic Institute, PO Box 24044, 2490 AA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2022 Sep;18(3):359-367. doi: 10.1007/s12024-022-00479-0. Epub 2022 Apr 22.
In contrast to cranial gunshot trauma, diagnosis and interpretation of gunshot trauma to long bones remains difficult and controversial. The aim of this study is to review the published literature on fracture patterns resulting from gunshot trauma in human long bones, and to use the described characteristics to provide practical guidance for the forensic anthropologist. In order to achieve this, medical and forensic publications on this topic were reviewed. Several types of fractures, such as linear, oblique, comminuted and butterfly fractures, have been observed in either the shaft or the ends of long bones. Indirect fractures that are not caused by bullets striking bone directly but by bullet-induced forces to the surrounding soft tissue have been found as well. Some of these fractures are related to a specific context or mechanism which might help in the forensic reconstruction of events. It is recommended that future research should focus on available medical data to provide more detailed descriptions on fracture patterns for forensic purposes. Experimentation with bone surrogates and computer modelling might also provide better and more realistic reconstructions of gunshot trauma in the future and provide valuable insights for its diagnosis and interpretation in forensic anthropology.
与颅部枪伤相比，长骨枪伤的诊断和解读仍然具有挑战性和争议性。本研究旨在回顾有关人类长骨枪伤所致骨折模式的文献，并利用所描述的特征为法医人类学家提供实际指导。为此，对该主题的医学和法医学出版物进行了审查。在长骨的干骺端或骨干处已经观察到几种类型的骨折，如线性、斜形、粉碎性和蝶形骨折。也发现了不是由子弹直接撞击骨骼而是由子弹对周围软组织产生的力引起的间接骨折。其中一些骨折与特定的背景或机制有关，这可能有助于对事件进行法医重建。建议未来的研究应侧重于现有医学数据，为法医目的提供更详细的骨折模式描述。使用骨替代物和计算机建模进行实验也可能为未来更准确和更现实地重建枪伤提供依据，并为法医人类学中的诊断和解读提供有价值的见解。
