Rowbotham Samantha K, Mole Calvin G, Tieppo Diana, Blaszkowska Magda, Cordner Stephen M, Blau Soren
Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia.
Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia.
Int J Legal Med. 2023 Jan;137(1):195-213. doi: 10.1007/s00414-022-02824-y. Epub 2022 Apr 29.
The accurate interpretation of a blunt force head injury relies on an understanding of the case circumstances (extrinsic variables) and anatomical details of the individual (intrinsic variables). Whilst it is often possible to account for many of these variables, the intrinsic variable of neurocranial thickness is difficult to account for as data for what constitutes 'normal' thickness is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of age, sex and ancestry on neurocranial thickness, and develop reference ranges for average neurocranial thickness in the context of those biological variables. Thickness (mm) was measured at 20 points across the frontal, left and right parietals, left and right temporals and occipital bones. Measurements were taken from post-mortem computed tomography scans of 604 individuals. Inferential statistics assessed how age, sex and ancestry affected thickness and descriptive statistics established thickness means. Mean thickness ranged from 2.11 mm (temporal squama) to 19.19 mm (petrous portion). Significant differences were noted in thickness of the frontal and temporal bones when age was considered, all bones when sex was considered and the, right parietal, left and right temporal and occipital bones when ancestry was considered. Furthermore, significant interactions in thickness were seen between age and sex in the frontal bone, ancestry and age in the temporal bone, ancestry and sex in the temporal bone, and age, sex and ancestry in the occipital bone. Given the assorted influence of the biological variables, reference measurement ranges for average thickness incorporated these variables. Such reference measurements allow forensic practitioners to identify when a neurocranial bone is of normal, or abnormal, thickness.
钝器头部损伤的准确解读依赖于对案件情况（外在变量）和个体解剖细节（内在变量）的理解。虽然通常有可能考虑到其中许多变量，但神经颅骨厚度这一内在变量却难以考虑，因为关于什么构成“正常”厚度的数据有限。本研究的目的是调查年龄、性别和血统对神经颅骨厚度的影响，并在这些生物学变量的背景下制定平均神经颅骨厚度的参考范围。在额骨、左右顶骨、左右颞骨和枕骨的20个点测量厚度（毫米）。测量取自604名个体的死后计算机断层扫描。推断统计评估年龄、性别和血统如何影响厚度，描述性统计确定厚度均值。平均厚度范围从2.11毫米（颞鳞）到19.19毫米（岩部）。考虑年龄时，额骨和颞骨的厚度有显著差异；考虑性别时，所有骨骼的厚度有显著差异；考虑血统时，右顶骨、左右颞骨和枕骨的厚度有显著差异。此外，在额骨中年龄和性别之间、颞骨中血统和年龄之间、颞骨中血统和性别之间以及枕骨中年龄、性别和血统之间的厚度存在显著交互作用。鉴于生物学变量的综合影响，平均厚度的参考测量范围纳入了这些变量。这样的参考测量使法医从业者能够确定神经颅骨的厚度是正常还是异常。
