TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Objective skull fracture evaluation by using the postmortem 3D-CT skull fracture score in fatal falls
JO  - Legal medicine (Elsevier)
A1  - Hyodoh, Hideki
A1  - Takeuchi, Akiko
A1  - Matoba, Kotaro
A1  - Murakami, Manabu
A1  - Matoba, Tomoko
A1  - Saito, Atsuko
A1  - Jin, Shigeki
SP  - e102048
EP  - e102048
VL  - 56
IS  - 
N2  - PURPOSE: We evaluated the usefulness of skull fracture analysis using three-dimensional computed tomography skull fracture scores (3DCT-SFs) in cases of fatal falls. <br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2016 to September 2020, 46 cases of fatal falls from great heights (33 males, 13 females; mean age: 52.7 (range: 18-89) years) were examined using routine postmortem CT. The 3DCT-SFs were determined as the sum of the fracture line lengths measured on a volume rendering image. Skull fracture severity was classified into four stages according to the 3DCT-SFs. These stages were compared by macroscopic evaluation of skull fracture severity (injury level 0: no fracture; injury level I: fracture without deviation; injury level II: fracture with deviation; injury level III: comminuted open skull fracture). The relationship between 3DCT-SFs values, the fall distance, and the hardness of the landing surface was also examined. <br><br>RESULTS: Skull fractures occurred in 26 cases (56.5%). The mean 3DCT-SFs of the cases that were classified as stages I, Ⅱ, and III were 86.6 (5.0-187.0), 832.0 (235.1-1865.8), and 3582.5 (2171.6-4787.6), respectively. Upon macroscopic evaluation of fracture severity, there were 8, 10, and 8 cases of injury levels I, II, and III, respectively. The 3DCT-SFs-based stages correlated significantly with the macroscopic skull fracture severity levels (R(2) = 0.936). Solid-surface fall points resulted in significantly higher 3DCT-SFs than soft surfaces. Comminuted open fracture of the skull (stage III) occurred with fall distances ≥ 24 m. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The 3DCT-SFs correlate well with macroscopic findings and are useful as an objective skull fracture index.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1344-6223
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2022.102048
ID  - ref1
ER  -