13. Ossification centres
• 2 centres for the body
• 4 centres for each cornua
• Greater cornua complete ossfn(20-30 yrs)
• Fuses completely with the body at 40-60 yrs
10 m IU
20-30 yrs
16 yrs
Just after birth
14. Calcification
• Young age – cartilagenous
• joints mobile
• >30 yrs - ends of the horns calcify
• becomes more brittle
• hence <30yrs - less chance for #
• ↓ common in females – calcifies only at old age
21. Hyoid fractures
According to
Displacement of fractured ends
• Inward / lateral compression #
• Outward (AP) compression #
• One side inward & other side outward
Mechanism of fracture
• Direct pressure: outward
• inward
• Avulsion
22. Inward /lateral compression fractures
• Force- inward
• Eg: throttling
• Fingers of the grasping hands
squeeze the greater horns
posterior fragment –
displaced inwards
• U/l or B/L
• Periosteum~ torn outer side
• Fragment can be seen lying medially
23.
24.
25. Outward /Anteroposterior compression #
• Force – inward
• Eg : hanging /ligature strangulation
• Hyoid forced backwards
• Fixed on to the vertebrae
• ↑ divergence of the greater horns
• Periosteum – torn on inner side
• DD: RTA runover ( multiple #)
• blows on the front ~ other signs
26. One side inward and other side outward
• During violent neck violence
• Backwards and sideways
• One end gets caught up
between the paravertebral structures
• So that end- inward #
• Other –outward #
27. According to the mechanism of fracture
• Direct pressure ~ outward
• inward
• Avulsion ~ muscular stretch or overactivity
• usually in hanging
• hyoid is drawn up and held rigid
• sudden suspn~ downward displacement of TC
• traction through TH lig
• usually outward
28. Demonstration of the fracture
• Palpatory method ~
• body held stable in one hand
• distal fragment between index and thumb
• assess its mobility
• antemortem ~ infiltration
Advanced putrefaction hard to determine the type
periosteum is completely destroyed
29. • Tests
• 1% tolidene blue
• Leave for 15 sec
• Clean with water
• Under stereomicroscope:
• # end stains blue
30. Semi-microradiography
• Method to visualise
• Soft tissue structures of neck
• To diagnose microtrauma
Focal spot
1*1 mm
125 cm special photoelectronic printers
31.
32. X ray and CT ~ best &most certain
not feasible
38. References:
1. Krogman, W. M. and Iscan, M. Y. Human Skeleton in Forensic
Medicine. 2nd Edition, Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, 1986.
2. Langmanns textbook of osteology
3. Poddar’s handbook of osteology, 13 th edition
4. Grays anatomy for students 3rd edition
5. Gradwohl’s legal medicine
6. Guharaj’s forensic medicine
7. Anil Aggarwal’s textbook of forensic medicine
8. B Umadathen’s textbook of forensic medicine
9. Essentials of forensic medicine by KS Narayana Reddy