Skeletal Trauma and Timing of Bone Injury (Lab 12)

Question 1

_________ is defined as an injury or disruption caused to living tissue by any external force.

Answer 1

Trauma

Question 2

________ is that which occurred prior to death

Answer 2

antemortem trauma

Question 3

________ is that which occurred around the time of death

Answer 3

perimortem trauma

Question 4

_______ is bone damage that occurred after the time of death

Answer 4

postmortem alteration

Question 5

under ______ the ends of the bones are pulled apart, which stretches the collagen fibers along their length. Fractures caused by _______ are often clean breaks that have few secondary fracture lines.

Answer 5

tension

Question 6

Under _________ the ends of the bone are pushed together causing multiple breaks and secondary fracture lines that radiate from the point of impact.

Answer 6

compression

Question 7

Under ________ the force impacts the body at an oblique angle, which often causes the two fracture ends to be misaligned because they are pushed in opposite directions.

Answer 7

Shearing

Question 8

Under _______ the force is also directed obliquely but with one end of the bone being stationary. This causes fracture lines to spiral down the axis of the bone shaft. In real life, most fractures result from a combination of these directional forces.

Answer 8

Torsion

Question 9

Bone is a __________ material, which means it responds to force differently depending on the speed at which it impacts the body.

Answer 9

Viscoelastic

Question 10

______ impact the body at low velocity for a relatively long period time (a blow to the head with a brick).

Answer 10

static forces

Question 11

________ impact the body suddenly and quickly, but also dissipate rapidly (a bullet wound).

Answer 11

dynamic forces

Question 12

when the bone bends, absorbs the energy, and returns to its original state without any permanent change to its structure is the __________ phase

Answer 12

elastic phase

Question 13

during this phase when the force is removed the bone will not return to its original state. In other words, the bone is permanently deformed

Answer 13

plastic phase

Question 14

when the bone has been stressed beyond its capacity to absorb energy. The force exceeds the structural strength of the bone and it gives way

Answer 14

fractured

Question 15

_________ deform the bone prior to causing a fracture.

Answer 15

static forces

Question 16

________ do not deform the bone but simply shatter it.

Answer 16

dynamic forces

Question 17

If the discontinuity travels through the bone physically separating it into two pieces, it is called a ______

Answer 17

fracture

Question 18

A _________ occurs when the two continuous bone surfaces no longer meet

Answer 18

displaced fracture

Question 19

_______ fractures are those in which multiple fractures occur at a site of injury. In comminuted fractures the bone has fragmented into 2 or more pieces indicating a high level of energy was impacting the body, consistent with dynamic loading

Answer 19

Comminuted

Question 20

A __________ is a special type of comminuted fracture of long bones typically resulting from blunt force trauma

Answer 20

butterfly fracture

Question 21

A fracture in which the bone does not break the outer surface of the skin is called _______

Answer 21

closed

Question 22

a fracture that breaks the skin is called _____
(have a much higher chance of secondary infection)

Answer 22

open

Question 23

If the discontinuity does not completely separate the bone it is called an _______

Answer 23

infraction or incomplete fracture

Question 24

A ___________results when the bone is impacted at an angle or is bent resulting in tension on one side of the bone and compression on the other side. An incomplete fracture with form transversely and often travel longitudinally up and down the shaft of the long bone. These types of fractures are more common in children.

Answer 24

greenstick fractures

Question 25

A ____________ is specific to the cranial vault. It involves an injury that usually crushes the trabecular bone and some of the outer cortical bone but does not completely separate the fragments.

Answer 25

depression fracture

Question 26

_________ result when the bone directly at the point of contact (bullet entry point) cannot absorb all of the energy imparted into the body through the formation of the primary fracture (bullet hole). (there are two types)

Answer 26

Secondary fracture lines

Question 27

________ disperse outward from the site of impact and can usually be traced back to it. This fact is useful for identifying the site of impact if the damage to the body has result in extreme fragmentation.

Answer 27

Radiating Fractures

Question 28

________ represent the energy traveling through the bone along the lines of least resistance - area of low bone density, low bone thickness, high proportions of trabecular bone, cranial sutures, and the numerous foramina located throughout the body.

Answer 28

radiating fractures

Question 29

__________form concentric fracture lines that surround the site of impact. These lines are usually associated with high-velocity projectile and low-velocity blunt force trauma. (associated with high levels of energy impacting the body)

Answer 29

Concentric Fractures or Hoop Fractures

Question 30

_____________ contributes to an investigation in two ways. First, if the trauma occurred well before the time of death there may be a medical history that can be matched to trauma that is observed on the body of an unknown decedent. That is, a fracture with a distinct pattern of healing could be compared to x-rays of an individual for whom a missing persons report has been filed. Second, trauma identified in various stages of healing may indicate a pattern of injury consistent with torture or domestic abuse. For child decedents, observation of antemortem trauma may indicate a history of child abuse and neglect.

Answer 30

Antemortem trauma

Question 31

The challenge with identifying antemortem trauma is that it is entirely based on observations of_________ or signs of ______________ in response to the traumatic insult.

Answer 31

1. bone healing 2. secondary infection

Question 32

_____________ is likely of greatest interest to the forensic anthropologist because it may directly relate to the cause of death. Observations of gunshot wounds, stab marks, or blunt force injuries would all be suggestive of the means by which the decedent died.

Answer 32

Perimortem trauma

Question 33

________________ could be of forensic relevance, but it is less likely related to cause and manner of death.

Answer 33

Postmortem trauma

Question 34

What is the primary goal of forensic anthropologists when analyzing trauma on skeletons?

Answer 34

To provide an accurate and complete description of the wounds.

Question 35

How does bone typically respond to dynamic forces?

Answer 35

It shatters without bending or deforming.

Question 36

Which type of fracture is characterized by multiple breaks and secondary fracture lines radiating from the point of impact?

Answer 36

compression fracture

Question 37

What is the significance of identifying the sequence of injuries in forensic anthropology?

Answer 37

It addresses the fundamental question of what happened at the crime scene.

Question 38

In the context of bone fracture, what does the term 'viscoelastic' imply?

Answer 38

Bone responds to force differently depending on the speed of impact.

Question 39

What is the primary difference between perimortem and postmortem fractures?

Answer 39

The level of collagen content in the bone at the time of fracture.

Question 40

Which type of fracture is more common in children due to their bone composition?

Answer 40

Greenstick fracture

Question 41

How can forensic anthropologists differentiate between perimortem and postmortem trauma?

Answer 41

By examining the fracture profile angle and texture.

Question 42

What role does the concept of 'anisotropic' play in understanding bone fractures?

Answer 42

It explains why bones fracture differently based on the direction of force applied.

Question 43

The healing process and the body's response to ____________ involve both osteoclasts (cells that remove bone) and osteoblasts (cells that make new bone).

Answer 43

secondary infection

Question 44

increased porosity or pitting surrounding the fracture site, rounding of broken fracture margins, and the deposition of new bone (bony callus) to completely mend the fracture.

Answer 44

antemortem trauma is evidenced by these three macroscopic features of bone healing

Question 45

______ refers to the shape of the broken edge

Answer 45

fracture profile texture

Question 46

__________ refers to whether the color of the fractured edge is the same color as the exterior cortical surface.

Answer 46

fracture profile color

Question 47

In _____________, the edge and exterior surface of the bone are exposed to the same burial environment.

Answer 47

perimortem trauma

Question 48

In____________ the broken edge is smooth. In postmortem trauma, the broken edge is rough and ragged.

Answer 48

perimortem trauma

Question 49

______________ fractures have the appearance of being roughly torn, reflecting the lack of elastic properties in the bone

Answer 49

postmortem

Question 50

In ____________ trauma the exterior surface is exposed to burial color changes for a longer period of time than the fractured margin. Therefore, you expect the margin to be lighter in color than the exterior bone surface.

Answer 50

postmortem

Question 51

has studied the effects of bullets on soft tissue.

Answer 51

forensics pathology

Question 52

distance between shooter and victim, type of bullet fired, the caliber of weapon, velocity and angle of impact, presence of the intervening material, bullet behavior at the moment of impact (rotating, wobbling, tumbling)

Answer 52

extrinsic factors

Question 53

skeletal element impacted, age of the decedent, health conditions affecting bone quality

Answer 53

intrinsic factors

Question 54

inward beveling

Answer 54

entrance wound

Question 55

outward beveling

Answer 55

exit wound