A possible juvenile hypochondroplasia case from the mass grave of Lazzaretto Nuovo Island (Venice)

Among the remains of individuals buried in the cemetery of the New Lazaretto (Venice) during the plague epidemic of 1576, a juvenile skeleton with a discrepancy between the biological age at death obtained by the diaphyseal length was recovered. Other skeletal indicators from the humerus and the shoulder girdle show a craniocaudal reduction of bone length. Associated with other morphological changes and signs, the individual is diagnosed with hypochondroplasia, a specific form of dwarfism

Forensic Anthropology: a typical Italian case report to understand possible future developments.

Summary — In Italy is still quite uncommon that a forensic anthropologist is involved in investigative cases. Three typical cases are illustrated to demonstrate anthropological investigations conducted in Italy: human bones emerging from soil; an unidentified, badly decomposed body from an outdoor scene; The skeletons of WWII soldiers recovered from a battlefield and processed for identification. Despite a few exceptions, unidentified skeletons, badly preserved bodies, and the presence of unrecovered soldiers from the last world war are the most common subject for anthropological investigations in Italy; but the international experience suggests further fields for the application of anthropological and archaeological techniques, improving the collaboration between pathologists, State Prosecutor Offices and anthropologists to create a more complete investigative team

Medico-legal and criminological suicide diagnosis on historical cases: testing a new methodology

This work proposes a new combination of criteria for the suicide diagnosis applied to these three famous historical cases: Judas Iscariot, Antony and Cleopatra, Vincent Van Gogh. The specific criteria (suicide statistics and dynamics, correlation of types of injury and how they were produced, evidence gathered during official inspections in loco, and previous psychiatric disorders in the victim) have been applied to famous historical cases from different socio-cultural contexts and epochs in order to tackle the issue of suicide without prejudice. The results confirm the essential role of systematic analysis of all elements from an equivocal death crime scene investigation to be able to distinguish suicide from homicide or natural and accidental death. The scores obtained in each three examined case emphasize the relevance of every single criterion of the methodology for different scenarios

Skeletal remains from the cemetery of Lazzaretto Nuovo (Venice): a preliminary analysis

The aim of the present study is to delineate the bio-history of the population buried in Lazzaretto Nuovo, which according to current informations come from the second plague that struck the Serenissima (AD 1630). All of them are morphologically Caucasian, male with average height of 170cm, with the exception of one individual (ID 3, 180/186cm). The biological age of death is between twenty and thirty years and even though the cause of death was most likely the plague, findings of other pathological conditions have been detected. Fairly widespread but not severe pathologies of the oral cavity are present. Paleo-nutritional analysis showed a diversified diet, which allows to make inferences about different social status, while the autochthony of the buried subjects could be reflected by the peculiar development of the muscular insertions of the shoulder girdle

Metric Methods of Skeletal Sex Determination using the Arm Bones

Several studies have stated the importance of devising population-specific metric methods for sex determination. The long bones of the arm have been previously reported as having a high reliability. This paper explores the degree of sexual dimorphism in adult arm bones displayed in two Medieval British populations, one urban and one rural. The urban Gloucester population sample consists of 45 individuals (19 female and 26 male) and the rural Poulton sample of 27 individuals (13 female and 14 male) and were selected from collections housed at Liverpool John Moores University. Measurements of the proximal and distal epiphyses along with maximum length were used on the humerus, radius and ulna. These populations showed sexual dimorphism in every measurement taken. Discriminant function analysis found that all arm bones had very high discriminant accuracies in both populations reaching 91.2% (Gloucester radii) and 95.5% (Poulton radii). It was found that some of the values were significantly different between the populations supporting the necessity for population-specific metric standards

Changing Impact Angles: The Mechanics Involved in Blunt Force Cranial Trauma and Their Importance in Investigating Curb-Stomping Cases

After attending this presentation, attendees will better understand how fracture types can differ as a result of blunt force trauma produced by differing angle strikes. This presentation will impact the forensic science community by providing an experimental model that aids in the understanding of fracture mechanics produced when force is applied to the cranium from differing angles. The majority of studies on the infliction of blunt force trauma to the cranium assess only the initial impact site. This method can therefore result in a loss of essential data relating to the circumstances in which the injury was sustained. The goal of this study was to create an experimental model that would provide a more realistic picture of the damage sustained during a violent attack to aid investigators. Twenty adult pig heads (Sus scrofa domesticus) were placed on a solid base, resting on the mandible. The base could be angled so that the impact angle to the skull could be altered for each strike. Using a drop hammer rig, modified with a replica hammer head (modeled after a 16oz claw hammer), each pig head was struck once over the frontal bone from a height of one meter. A total of five angles were assessed in this preliminary study (0°, 9°, 18°, 27°, and 36°), with each angle tested a minimum of three times. It was not possible to strike the frontal region of the pig head at any angle greater than 36°. To monitor the acceleration, timing, and force of each strike, a piezoelectric accelerometer was attached to the drop hammer, with data recorded at a rate of 10,000 scans per second. Following maceration, the fractures present were compared with previously published images and descriptions, with measurements taken of the width length and depth of each depression fracture. It was noted that a number of mandibles had also fractured when struck using a more direct angle (0°, 9°, and 18°). To establish that this was a result of the impact study, a further set of pig heads were radiographed prior to the strikes. A further radiograph following the impact confirmed that the mandibular fractures had caused a transference of the force through the cranium when struck from above. A total of 22 fractures were observed between the cranium and mandible. Depression fractures (n=10) demonstrated a decrease in size as the angle increased and radiating fractures (n=4) were present on angles from 18°. Mandibular fractures (n=8) were only present up to 18° in this study, with the severity ranging from complete break to partial fractures as the angle increased. It was also noted that the angle of the fracture on the mandible differs as the angles increase. Presented here is a pilot study that exhibits the need to further investigate the issues surrounding violent assaults using blunt force trauma, such as bludgeoning with a hammer; however, an unexpected finding was the secondary trauma inflicted to the mandible as a result of resting on the solid base plate, which mimicked the scenario faced by curb-stomping victims. Although the traditional “biting the curb” posture is not exhibited in this experiment, it provides information on how the transference of force can travel through the skull and exhibit in fractures elsewhere. There are increasing numbers of reports in the media of violent crimes involving blunt force trauma taking place that utilize everyday household objects.2 It has also been highlighted in studies that blunt force trauma to the head is one of the most effective methods of murder, but that the weapons most commonly involved are hands and feet, also referred to as human strength. This study is limited by the small sample size, but has provided information that could direct further research into violent assaults using blunt force trauma. It would be beneficial to repeat the study using a larger sample size, bone substitutes to more directly simulate the cranial biomechanics of a human skull, and by modifying the drop hammer to investigate how increasing the surface area impact will affect the results

Sexual Dimorphism of the Fovea Capitis Femoris in a Medieval Population from Gloucester, England

Attempts to develop new methods of sex determination in forensic anthropology are constantly being made by researchers in the field. This paper investigates the potential of using an index of the fovea capitis femoris shape as a method of sex determination. The currently held belief is that variation within the fovea capitis is purely idiosyncratic. The study was carried out on a sample of 19 males and 19 females from the Gloucester skeletal collection housed at Liverpool John Moores University. Measurements of the maximum fovea capitis height and breadth were taken from both the left and right femora and converted into an index. It was found that while there was no significant difference in dimensions alone, there was a significant difference in index values between males and females for both the left (t(34) = 4.294, p < 0.001) and right (t(32) = 3.046. p = 0.05) fovea capitis. This method was found to have 78.1% accuracy in determining the sex of an individual. Therefore, we may now be able to state that variation of the fovea capitis is sexuallydimorphic and not exclusively idiosyncratic as first thought