Schwab Nathalie, Galtés Ignasi, Winter-Buchwalder Michelle, Ortega-Sánchez Marisa, Jordana Xavier
Biological Anthropology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Forensic Anthropology Unit, Catalonian Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science (IMLCFC), Ciutat de la Justícia, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 111 Edifci G, 08075 Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain.
Biology (Basel). 2023 Mar 3;12(3):399. doi: 10.3390/biology12030399.
In forensic anthropology, the differential diagnosis between peri- and postmortem bone fractures is mainly based on macroscopic criteria. In contrast, studies focusing on bone histology are very scarce. In a recent publication, we showed that (perimortem) fractures in fresh human bones exhibit a different osteonal microcracking pattern than (postmortem) damage in dry bones. In the current work, we explored whether this osteonal microcracking pattern is distinctive of the vitality of (perimortem) fresh bone fractures. To this end, we compared the number, length and structural distribution of microcracks in vital humeral fractures from forensic autopsy cases with experimentally reproduced, three point-bending fractures in fresh and dry human humeri. Half of the fresh experimental bones were fractured whilst applying axial compression, i.e., attempting to simulate intra vitam conditions more accurately. The results showed a similar osteonal microcracking pattern between vital fractures and experimental fractures of fresh humeri subjected to axial compression. Interestingly, this pattern was significantly different from the one observed in the experimental fractures of fresh humeri without axial compression and dry humeri. This supports our hypothesis that the osteonal microcracking pattern can potentially be used as a marker for vital perimortem trauma, providing a histomorphometric tool for fracture timing.
在法医人类学中，生前骨折与死后骨折的鉴别诊断主要基于宏观标准。相比之下，关注骨组织学的研究非常稀少。在最近的一篇出版物中，我们表明新鲜人骨中的（生前）骨折与干骨中的（死后）损伤呈现出不同的骨单位微裂纹模式。在当前的研究中，我们探讨了这种骨单位微裂纹模式是否是（生前）新鲜骨折活力的独特特征。为此，我们比较了法医尸检案例中活体肱骨骨折的微裂纹数量、长度和结构分布，以及新鲜和干燥人肱骨中通过实验再现的三点弯曲骨折的微裂纹情况。一半的新鲜实验骨在施加轴向压缩时发生骨折，即试图更准确地模拟生前情况。结果显示，活体骨折与施加轴向压缩的新鲜肱骨实验骨折之间的骨单位微裂纹模式相似。有趣的是，这种模式与未施加轴向压缩的新鲜肱骨实验骨折和干燥肱骨实验骨折中观察到的模式有显著差异。这支持了我们的假设，即骨单位微裂纹模式有可能用作生前致命创伤的标志物，为骨折时间提供一种组织形态计量学工具。
