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Elsevier

An Atlas of Skeletal Trauma in Medico-Legal Contexts

  • 1st Edition - November 14, 2017
  • Latest edition
  • Authors: Soren Blau, David Ranson, Chris O'Donnell
  • Language: English

Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) is increasingly used in forensic pathology practice in many jurisdictions. Such imaging has expanded the capacity to evaluate skeletal tr… Read more

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Description

Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) is increasingly used in forensic pathology practice in many jurisdictions. Such imaging has expanded the capacity to evaluate skeletal trauma improving the visualisation, documentation and presentation of forensic findings. Typically when deceased persons are located and exhibit evidence of trauma, forensic pathologist, anthropologists and radiologists base their interpretations of the mechanism of trauma on their experience and understanding of the biomechanics of fractures as well as recognisable patterns of injury. In order to augment this process, An Atlas of Forensic Skeletal Trauma presents a range of de-identified adult and child skeletal trauma cases that occur in medico-legal contexts where the cause of death and mechanism of trauma are recorded. An Atlas of Forensic Skeletal Trauma includes comprehensive photographs and PMCT images as well as descriptive text.

Key features

  • Presents a valuable guide to the interpretation of skeletal trauma for practitioners and students of forensic anthropology, pathology and radiology
  • Provides coverage of skeletal trauma cases resulting from high and low velocity projectiles, low energy blunt force (e.g., assaults involving various implements, hangings, strangulations, falls), high energy blunt force (e.g., motor vehicle and aviation incidents), and more
  • Includes case studies with written and visual descriptions, discussions and up-to-date literature review

Readership

Forensic anthropologists and forensic pathologists in current medico-legal practice. Secondarily for schools of medicine, forensic and biological anthropology

Table of contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: High Velocity Projectile Trauma
Chapter 2: Low Energy Blunt Force Trauma
Chapter 3: Low Energy Blunt Force Trauma – Fatal Falls (Samantha Rowbotham)
Chapter 4: High Energy Blunt Force Trauma: Motor Vehicle Incidents
Chapter 5: High Energy Blunt Force Trauma: Aviation Incidents
Chapter 6: Accidental and Non-accidental Injuries in Children
Chapter 7: Sharp Force Trauma
Chapter 9: Taphonomic Changes
Chapter 10: Skeletal Variation: Morphology, Anomalies, Tissue Calcification and Pathology

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: November 15, 2017
  • Language: English

About the authors

SB

Soren Blau

Soren Blau is the Senior Forensic Anthropologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Department of Forensic Medicine at Monash University. She undertakes domestic and international forensic anthropology casework, as well as lectures and delivers training to forensic practitioners and related stakeholders in Australia and overseas In 2013 Sorenwas awarded The Sir William Kilpatrick Churchill Fellowship to study technical aspects of analysis and interpretation of skeletal trauma in medico-legal investigations.
Affiliations and expertise
Senior Forensic Anthropologist, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University

DR

David Ranson

David Ranson is the Deputy Director of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine at Monash University. He is a specialist in forensic pathology and clinical forensic medicine with a strong professional interest in Medical Law. He regularly is consulted by legal practitioners both in Australia and overseas regarding the provision of medico-legal advice in the fields of forensic pathology, clinical forensic medicine and coronial law. In the last 10 years he has been particularly involved in the establishment and working of a number of specialist death investigation and research units aimed at preventing avoidable death and injury.
Affiliations and expertise
Deputy Director, Head of Forensic Services, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Medical Director, Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University

CO

Chris O'Donnell

Chris O’Donnell is a clinical Radiologist who was instrumental in the installation of a CT scanner into the mortuary of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. His expertise is in integration of imaging into forensic practice including identification of deceased persons culminated in an important role in the Black Saturday bushfires. This was the first time in history that PMCT has been used in such a mass scale for disaster victim identification. Based on that experience his input has been pivotal in the formation of standards for the use of radiology in mass disaster.
Affiliations and expertise
Consultant Forensic Radiologist, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University

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