Volume 54, Issue 4 pp. 923-926

Discrimination of Falls and Blows in Blunt Head Trauma: Assessment of Predictability Through Combined Criteria*

Célia Kremer M.Sc.

Célia Kremer M.Sc.

Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale, Édifice Wilfrid-Derome, 1701, rue Parthenais, 12 étage, Montreal, QC H2K 3S7, Canada.

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Anny Sauvageau M.Sc., M.D.

Anny Sauvageau M.Sc., M.D.

Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale, Édifice Wilfrid-Derome, 1701, rue Parthenais, 12 étage, Montreal, QC H2K 3S7, Canada.

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First published: 23 June 2009
Citations: 71
Additional information and reprint requests:
Anny Sauvageau, M.Sc., M.D.
Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale
Édifice Wilfrid-Derome
1701, Parthenais Street, 12th Floor
Montreal, QC H2K 3S7
Canada
E-mail: [email protected]
*

Presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February 18–23, 2008, in Washington, DC.

Abstract

Abstract: The discrimination of falls from homicidal blows in blunt head injuries is a common but difficult problem in both forensic anthropology and pathology. Three criteria have been previously proposed for this distinction: the hat brim line rule, side lateralization of fractures, and number of lacerations. The aim of the present study was to achieve a better distinction rate by combining those criteria and assess the predictability of these combined criteria tools. Over a 6-year period, a total of 114 cases (92 males and 22 females) were studied: 21 cases of downstairs falls, 29 cases of falls from one’s own height, and 64 cases of head trauma by a blunt weapon. The results revealed predictability rates varying from 62.5 to 83.3% for criteria pointing towards a fall. As for combined criteria in favor of a blow, the assumption was accurate in all cases (100%).

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