Reading:: Bone Splinters in Hanging Victims

Pericarotid Bone Splinter: A Microscopic Appearance in Hanging.

By Ciprian Lupascu, MD, Nicole Berger, PhD, & Cristian Lupascu, PhD

Much like the article in my previous post, this article by Lupascu et al. is the first to delve into its topic of research. Lupascu et al. (2003) has decided to perform a study to determine the relevance of the occurrence of bone splinters in hanging victims. These 0.25mm to 0.7 mm splinters were detected at the microscopic level and may have forensic value in ruling a death by hanging as homicide or suicide.

The study discussed in this article consisted of 145 individuals who had died from asphyxia (lack of oxygen due to pressure on the neck). 3 of those 145 had been hung from a rope or string with a knot lateral to (on the side of) the neck. In each of these cases microscopic bones splintering had occurred which was caused by the violent traction against the muscle during initial hanging. The authors decided that the splinters most likely broke off from one of the cervical vertebrae as they became forced into the carotid artery.

What makes the presence of the splinters significant to determining manner of death (homicide or suicide) is the presence or absence of fibrin and hemorrhagic tissue around the splinter. If both are present it suggests that the individual was alive when he or she was hung which can rule out a homicide and subsequent hanging of the victim.

Reference:

Ciprian Lupascu, MD, Nicole Berger, PhD, & Cristian Lupascu, PhD (2003). 
           Pericarotid Bone Splinter: A Microscopic Appearance in Hanging. 
          The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 24(4): 
           320 –321. Retrieved from http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/sp-3.4.1b/ovidweb.cgi?WebLinkFrameset=1&S=MBBOFPOCLJDDEBBONCCLABGCLDOKAA00&returnUrl=ovidweb.cgi%3f%26TOC%3djb.search.26%257c1%257c50%26FORMAT%3dtoc%26FIELDS%3dTOC%26S%3dMBBOFPOCLJDDEBBONCCLABGCLDOKAA00&directlink=http%3a%2f%2fgraphics.tx.ovid.com%2fovftpdfs%2fFPDDNCGCABBOLJ00%2ffs044%2fovft%2flive%2fgv022%2f00000433%2f00000433-200312000-00002.pdf&filename=Pericarotid+Bone+Splinter%3a+A+Microscopic+Appearance+in+Hanging.&link_from=jb.search.26%7c1&pdf_key=B&pdf_index=jb.search.26