Fracture Patterns on the Infant Porcine Skull Following Severe Blunt Impact

• NCJ Number: 240826
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2012 Pages: 312-317
• Author(s): Brian J. Powell, B.S.; Nicholas V. Passalacqua, M.S.; Timothy G. Baumer, M.S.; Todd W. Fenton, Ph.D.; Roger C. Haut, Ph.D.
• Date Published: March 2012
• Length: 6 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2007-DN-BX-K196
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study documented patterns of fracture on infant porcine skulls.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to document patterns of fracture on infant porcine skulls aged 2-28 days (n = 57) because of a single, high energy blunt impact to the parietal bone with rigid (nondeformable) and compliant (deformable) interfaces. Fracture patterns were mapped using Geographic Information System software. For the same generated impact force, the rigid interface produced more fractures than the compliant interface for all ages. This study also showed that this increased level of impact energy versus an earlier study using a lower energy resulted in new sites of fracture initiation and also caused previously defined fractures that propagate into an adjacent bone. Several unique characteristics of bone and diastatic fracture were documented as a function of specimen age, impact energy, and interface. These data describe some baseline characteristics of skull fracture using an animal model that may help guide future studies from forensic case files. Abstract published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.