Cheiloscopy as an additional forensic parameter : a review

@#Criminal activities involving human life always puts lives at stake. Newer advances in other fields especially medicine and dentistry is essential in solving the mysteries of death. Different disciplines insert a part of the puzzle until it is complete. Fingerprints, DNA profiling, Forensic anthropology are commonly employed in personnel identification, mass disasters and others. Investigators may also rely on lip prints to identify possible suspects or to support evidence gained in specific investigations. A lip print at scene of crime can be the basis for inference as to the number of people involved, gender, habits, occupational traits, and others, based on the pathological changes present. This review deals with lip prints and their possible acquisition and usage.

Reconstruction of femoral length from fragmentary femora / 대한해부학회지

The reconstruction of femoral length (FL) from fragmentary femora is an essential step in estimating stature from fragmentary skeletal remains in forensic investigations. While regression formulae for doing this have been suggested for several populations, such formulae have not been established for Ghanaian skeletal remains. This study, therefore, seeks to derive regression formulae for reconstruction of FL from fragmentary femora of skeletal samples obtained from Ghana. Six measurements (vertical head diameter, transverse head diameter, bicondylar breadth, epicondylar breadth, sub-trochanteric anterior-posterior diameter, and sub-trochanteric transverse diameter) were acquired from different anatomical portions of the femur and the relationship between each acquired measurement and FL was analyzed using linear regression. The results indicated significantly moderate-to-high correlations (r=0.580–0.818) between FL and each acquired measurement. The error estimates of the regression formulae were relatively low (i.e., standard error of estimate, 13.66–19.28 mm), suggesting that the discrepancies between actual and estimated stature were relatively low. Compared with other measurements, sub-trochanteric transverse diameter was the best estimate of FL. In the absence of a complete femur, the regression formulae based on the assessed measurements may be used to infer FL, from which stature can be estimated in forensic investigations.

To evaluate the accuracy of various dental parameters used for the gender determination in Nagpur District population.

Context: Gender determination is considered an important step in reconstructing the biological profile of unknown individuals from the forensic context. Assessment of sex differences from human remains will be of immense help as it would narrow down fields of search to 50 %. Aims: To evaluate the accuracy of various dental parameters used for the gender determination. Settings and Design: The aim of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of various methods employed in gender determination or personal identification such as mesiodistal width of molars, mesiodistal width of canine, mandibular and maxillary canine index in age group of 15 to 65 years. Methods and Material: A total of 200 patients were selected comprising of both the genders in the age group of 15-65 years belonging to various parts of Nagpur. The mesiodistal crown width of mandibular and maxillary permanent molar and canine teeth and the intercanine distance was measured and the values were noted. Statistical analysis used: the data was analysed using SPSS 18 software. Results: The mean of mesio distal width of maxillary and mandibular molar in males and females is suggestive of gender dimorphism in maxillary molars which was statistically significant. The maxillary inter-canine distance was greater in males and was statistically significant. Conclusions: The dental parameters can be used as a tool for accurate gender determination in forensic investigations.

Dental status among fisher folk communities: a clinical study and its role in forensic dentistry

AIM: To assess the dental findings among fishermen communities residing in the coastal areas of Edakkad and Muzhappilangad, Kannur, Kerala, South India, and the feasibility of using these findings for identification of the subjects in forensic investigation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty males of age group 30-35 years were selected- two groups of 20 each from two fishermen communities and one control group of 10 from the non- fishermen population. The parameters included in the study were work procedure, smoking, tobacco chewing, alcohol consumption, attrition, cervical abrasion, macrodontia, incisal notching, dental caries and facial features. For statistical analysis was used chi-square test. RESULTS: All the parameters were significantly more in the study groups compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: Further research is suggested to identify other factors which may influence the outcome of forensic investigation.

Checklist for Forensic Investigation on Fatal SCUBA Diving Accidents / 대한법의학회지

SCUBA diving is becoming one of popular sport around the world even though it has serious accident potentials. The most common cause of death in underwater diving fatality is drowning, but in many cases it could be just a terminal event. The eventual target of forensic investigation in underwater diving accidents is to examine the underlying cause of death or accident, and therefore forensic pathologists should get an information about diving equipments which were used by the victim and about environmental factors. The author think a uniformed check list of underwater diving accidents should be available for postmortem investigation, and here propose it.

Investigation forensic of the brain injury in the road traffic accidents / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To study the type, characteristics, common complications of the cranio-cerebral injury and assessment for the body impairment in victims involved in road traffic accidents. Method Data from 862 cases with cranio-cerebral injury in road traffic accidents were collected and were statistically analyzed according to injured body part, complication, the type of complications and the severity of injury. Results Compound cranio-cerebral injuries were sustained in 276 cases, brain contusion in 192 cases, skull fracture in 79 cases, intracranial hemorrhage in 91 cases, and scalp injury in 224 cases. The chief complications were identified as hydrocephalus (19,2.20%), epilepsy (l6,1.86%), hemiplegia (14, 1.62%), decerebrate cortical syndrome (12,1.39%). Conclusion Among the cranio-cerebral injuries sustained in the road traffic accidents, compound injury was the commonest insult, in which serious cerebral contusion was the major type of injury. The complications following cranio-cerebral injury should be diagnosed strictly according to the diagnostic standard and identification time, which should be differentiated from the other related diseases.

Erectile dysfunction detection by the nocturnal penile tumescence testing / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To solve the problem of erectile dysfunction in clinical forensic medicine investigation by using the nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) testing. Method 13 cases who complained erectile dysfunction after trauma were studied by using RIGISCAN PLUS SYSTEM. Results In 13 cases, the results of NPT testing showed that the erectile function was normal in 3 cases, slight dropping in 5 cases, medium dropping in 2 cases, and completely losing in 3 cases. In 5 cases which were serious erectile dysfunction as tested by IIEF, the NPT showed that the erectile function was normal in 1 case, slight dropping in 1 case, medium dropping in 1 cases, and losing completely in 2 cases. Conclusion The nocturnal penile tumescence testing can solve the problem of erectile dysfunction in forensic medicine investigation including the estimatieon of the severity of injury, labor ability assessment and some related questions.