Goren Haley P
Centre for Forensic Research, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada.
J Forensic Leg Med. 2023 Oct;99:102588. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2023.102588. Epub 2023 Sep 4.
The identification of marine post-mortem microstructural change in human bone tissue is valuable in forensic casework as evidence of an individual's burial history. This study examined micro-tunneling in pig-bone tissue microstructure that had been submerged in a marine environment. The objective of the experiment was to assess total distribution of post-mortem microstructural change and degree of preservation within and between individual submerged pig skeletons. 14 juvenile pig carcasses were submerged in British Columbia at 92-300 m depths, between four to eight months. Seven pigs were individually submerged within caged platforms, seven were tied to open platforms. Six bones were selected from each carcass: first rib, radius, ulna, middle-rib, tibia, and femur. Two transverse thin sections were sampled at each bone mid-shaft (n = 148) and examined using circularly polarized transmitted light. The distribution of tunnels was assessed by measuring tunnel maximum ingress and diameter at 40 locations of the peripheral cortex. All element types were impacted by peripheral tunneling from the periosteum to the central cortex. Tunnels were observed as radiating, bifurcating with no remineralization boundary, isolated and in clusters. Tunnel diameters ranged between 2.00 μm and 12.8 μm, with a 3.7 μm mean. Ingress measurements ranged between 7.5 μm and 435.8 μm with a 93.0 μm mean. Distribution of post-mortem microstructural change across skeletal elements showed the averaged maximum ingress was deeper in the uncaged (99.6 μm), when compared to caged material (78.5 μm). The averaged tunnel ingress had statistically significant differences between uncaged and caged carcasses overall (p-value=0.02). Results of the study indicate microboring is present in marine submersed mammalian bone microstructure in as little as 134 days. This informs forensic investigators of the rate of skeletal destruction and of the narrow window for forensic recoveries, particularly in an enclosed environment. Furthermore, the presence of marine microboring in bone can assist forensic practitioners to histologically interpret the environmental history of a corpse.
鉴定人类骨组织中的海洋死后微观结构变化，在法医案件工作中作为个人埋葬历史的证据具有重要价值。本研究检测了浸没在海洋环境中的猪骨组织微观结构中的微隧道。实验目的是评估死后微观结构变化的总体分布以及各个浸没猪骨骼内部和之间的保存程度。14具幼年猪尸体被浸没在不列颠哥伦比亚省92 - 300米深处，时长4至8个月。7头猪被单独浸没在笼式平台内，7头被绑在开放式平台上。从每具尸体上选取6根骨头：第一肋骨、桡骨、尺骨、中肋骨、胫骨和股骨。在每根骨头的骨干中部采集两个横向薄片样本（n = 148），并使用圆偏振透射光进行检查。通过测量外周皮质40个位置处隧道的最大进入深度和直径来评估隧道的分布。所有元素类型都受到从骨膜到中央皮质的外周隧道影响。观察到隧道呈放射状、分叉且无再矿化边界，有孤立的和成群的。隧道直径在2.00μm至12.8μm之间，平均为3.7μm。进入深度测量值在7.5μm至435.8μm之间，平均为93.0μm。跨骨骼元素的死后微观结构变化分布显示，与笼式材料（78.5μm）相比，未笼式材料中平均最大进入深度更深（99.6μm）。未笼式和笼式尸体的平均隧道进入深度总体上有统计学显著差异（p值 = 0.02）。研究结果表明，在海洋浸没的哺乳动物骨微观结构中，短至134天就会出现微钻孔。这为法医调查人员提供了骨骼破坏速率以及法医回收狭窄窗口期的信息，特别是在封闭环境中。此外，骨中海洋微钻孔的存在可以帮助法医从业者从组织学上解读尸体的环境历史。
