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•Interior of chest wall, showing ribs, muscles and blood vessels. •White areas of calcification are similar to “bumps” reported on ribs of historic populations reported to have a variety of diseases •Note that the calcifications occur between the ribs, not on their inner surfaces •Could indicate periosteal reaction and overgrowth of ribs????
Large “plaques” on inner surface of ribs and adjacent tissues These features are consistent with a diagnosis of tuberculosis in the living patient
But, do these features affect the bones?
“Plaques” are calcified, but are able to be removed from the inner surface of the ribs and did not affect the surface of the bone! Therefore, many of the “features” identified as disease signs on bone are probably artifacts from preparation
- “Plaques” are probably related to tissue adhesions resulting from infections of the pleural surfaces from tuberculosis or pneumonia
Conclusion
Oddities of ribs, such as color changes, bumps, roughness and other surface irregularities more likely are the result of postmortem factors, especially the methods used to process skeletal elements for inclusion in museum collections!
The postmortem processing of bones has nothing to do with the previous lives of the
Trauma
In forensic cases injury can not only cause death, but analysis of the patterns can permit the investigator to determine what occurred, how, when, and by what means. Trauma analysis can allow determination of cause and manner of death. All body organs and systems are subject to trauma, and each responds characteristically to injuries
Intravenous drug usage
- Not only does the user face the problems caused by the effects of the drugs, but potentially those caused by the carrier in which it is suspended
- In some cases drugs are mixed with poisons
- Often “cut” by dealers to reduce the amount of drug in each volume purchased by the user
- All foreign materials introduced into the body can cause problems
Why do intravenous drug users have many physical problems and symptoms of this activity? Drugs are often “cut” with talc that accumulates within the skin to leave characteristic irritations.
Scarring can also occur from constant subdermal irritation, such as hemorrhaging, as shown here, i. e. “tracks”
Talc also accumulates in internal organs, such as the liver, where it can block vessels and damage tissues
Liver tissue with talc infiltrations under polarizing light
Gunshot wounds
- The effects vary greatly depending on many factors
- Body region shot
- Type of bullet
- Distance from victim
- Angle at which bullet penetrates tissues
•New forensic methods will be needed and developed in the future
•Many new career paths will be available for those who have an interest in adapting the areas of science and medicine they study to solving crimes and preventing violence
Craniofacial reconstruction
techniques
Contemporary studies can so the same using computer imaging
Traditionally done on skulls, using tissue depth markers
Wild gorilla with osseous growth on face.
Diagnosis?
