These are some bony remains in which the comparative study of radiographs (indubitated) of the frontal sinuses MA with the dubitated made MB could establish their full identity.
(a) Background.
The Provincial Brigade of Scientific Police of A Coruña remitted to the Anthropology Section of the Central Identification Service of this General Commissioner of Scientific Police some low bone remnants that had been located in a city.
An anthropological study was requested to establish its identification.
Inventory of material received:
• Skull with jaw.
• Left Tibia and fibula
• Right heart
• Hot, dubit and radius rights
• Pelvis and sacrum
• Seven cervical vertebrae and the first three dorsal vertebrae
(b) Methodology.
Before performing any manipulation, photographs of the bone elements were taken in the same state in which they were received.
In order to appreciate all the characteristics of the bones under study, they were cleaned by dipping the skull and the first two cervical vertebrae in 50 % fin-bone hypochlorite for 24 hours.
Subsequently, macroscopic, anthropometric and radiological studies were performed.
c) macroscopic features.
All bone elements were placed in an anatomical position.
Macroscopic features were characteristic of the human species.
The remains, after cleaning, were photographed individually, and in one of them detailed photographs of any element considered of interest were taken.
C.1) CANEE:
c.1.1 Splanchnocranium.
Facial mass and suture morphology was assessed.
Near the fronto-nasal junction, remnants of the metopic suture beyond the glabella were still preserved.
1.
The nasal bones presented deviation to the right side, showing also the zone of union to the deep and narrow frontal.
The piriform foramen had a narrower and longer right side than the left.
c.1.2 Neurocranium.
In the cranial vault, coronal and sagittal sutures were observed with close margins and multiple ossification points, especially in the lateral part of the coronal suture and in the posterior part of the sagittal suture.
All sutures were preserved in the right lateral norm, with the temporal scala attached to the parietal bone.
The mastoid process was robust and long.
In the left lateral norm, the drawing of all sutures was seen at the temporo-parietal junction.
The temporal scala was attached to the parietal bone.
The morphology of the mastoid process was similar to that of the right side.
As a rule, the lambdoid suture was observed, although with multiple points where the edges were fused.
In the inferior norm, all structures with normal morphology were observed, presenting both deep and marked digastric grooves.
In the occipital protuberance an important bony excrecy was observed, a frequent anatomical characteristic in males, as well as the occipital crest and the nuchal lines very marked.
1.
In the palate, the incisive osseous suture had become established.
The longitudinal palatal suture presented rough edges with multiple bone bridges.
The transverse palatal suture had the edges united in almost all its course, also presenting enough roughness and exostosis.
Absence of all teeth with bone resorption indicative of non recent loss was observed.
C1.2 Maxilar Inferior.
The jawbone had an oval morphology and the gonial angles were marked.
At the bottom edge of the meniscus, bone appears with roughness, possibly as an old reaction to some type of trauma.
Only one tooth was present corresponding to the left lower lateral tooth (picture 32).
The rest of the teeth were absent and with mandibular resorption, indicating non-recent loss.
C.2) RONS:
c.2.1 Vertebral pupil:
Seven cervical and three dorsal vertebrae were studied.
Cervical vertebrae showed signs of arthrosis, especially atlas and axis.
c.2.2 Pelvis:
The bones forming the pelvic girdle, sacrum and both thighs were separated.
The pelvic girdle was fixed together to clearly observe its morphology.
1.
The fused vertebrae were observed in the sacrum, leaving a slight remnant of the interposed area.
The right thigh had a normal morphology, showing signs of arthrosis at the anterior limit of the obturator hole.
Some alterations were observed in the left thighl: At the edges of the auricular surface there were multiple bony excrecences, which in some points exceeded 20 mm in height and at the posterior edge of the continuous auricular surface.
At the level of the ischio-pubic branch was observed a destructured bone mass with multiple spicules.
This highly fragmented proliferation of bone would be the response of the organism to a fracture located in this area, resulting in a callus of a tosque fracture.
The obturator foramen was partially occupied by multiple exostosis that departed from the callus described above, and are evident both in the internal and external face.
The pubis symphysis and the acetabular fossa showed no significant alterations.
C.3) SUPPLEMENTARY EXTREMPTIONS.
1.
Only the bones corresponding to the right forearm and arm could be studied, which had the following particularities:
The patient presented loss of bone tissue, leaving the substance spongy in the medial area of the head and anatomical neck, posterior aspect of the condyle and external face.
The cubitus on the side or external of the proximal epiphysis presented part of the olecranon with loss of bone tissue, leaving the spongy radial substance.
In the posterior part of the distal epiphysis almost the totality of the style apophysis had removed the spinal canal.
The radius showed loss of bone substance in both epiphysis style leaving the spongy tissue in the proximal end in the anterior face of the radial neck, and in the distal part of the apophysisoids.
The morphology of these bone tissue losses was compatible with the predatory action of small rodents, mouse or rat type.
1.
C.4) INFEMENTING EXTREMPTIONS.
Only the tibia and fibula could be studied in the right lower extremity and in the left.
The right side, in its proximal dorsal aspect, presented loss of bone tissue leaving the substance spongy in the greater trochanter and part of the femoral head.
In the distal epiphysis he had lost almost all of the two condyles.
The outer condyle had a greyish color with earthquakes, probably because it had been this area in contact with the ground.
This loss of bone tissue, like the bones described above, was compatible with the predatory action of rodents.
The left tibia showed loss of most of the proximal epiphysis leaving the spongy substance visible in the medullary cavity.
This loss of bone tissue could be attributed to the predatory action of rodents.
In his inner lateral face he had soil remains, possibly because he had been this part in contact with the ground.
In the middle third of the diaphysis a proliferation of bone tissue was observed, which gave rise to a callus fracture.
This old lesion followed a descending diagonal trajectory with anteroposterior course.
The fibula presented loss of part of the proximal epiphysis leaving the substantia spongiosa and the medullar cavity.
The loss could be attributed to the predatory action of rodents.
In the middle third of the diaphysis, lying with the lesion described in the tibia, an important bone proliferation was observed, with predominant growth towards the medial area of the bone.
This change indicated the body's reaction to restore a diaphyseal fracture.
However, when observing the fibula in its anterior face, a deviation of both ends of the fractured area was observed, leaving the distal part of the same superimposed and in a plane anterior to the proximal end of the fracture, which was indicated.
(d) anthropological education.
D.1) DETERMINATION OF THE SEXO.
The skull showed prominent superimposed arches and blunt orbital rim on the anterior part.
In the posterior zone the occipital protuberance, the occipital crest and the upper and lower occipital lines were observed with great relief.
At the base of the skull, the mastoid processions were large, with marked digastric grooves.
In the pelvis, it was observed that the shape of the central orifice, limited in the anterior face by the sacrum, in the posterior face by the symphysis, and on both sides by the innominate line, the mid-posterior diameter.
The subparticle arch was small, slightly convex and high.
The greater sciatic notch is narrow and low and the obturator foramen was rounded.
The anatomical characteristics obtained from the skull and pelvis allow determining that he belonged to a male.
D.2) DETERMINATION OF EDAD.
The study to determine the apparent age was carried out on the situation of the pubic symphysis, closure of palatal sutures and sutures of the skull.
The pubis symphysis presented mild depression of the surface, with a moderate ridge on the dorsal part, external ligament growth on the ventral edge.
For the calculation of age by the status of the pubis symphysis, the Suchey and Brooks preference [20] method was used.
These data allowed placing it at level V, establishing age in a period between 27 and 66 years.
In the palate, the incisive osseous suture had become established.
The longitudinal palatal suture presented rough edges with multiple bone bridges.
The transverse palatal suture had its borders united, especially on the right side.
In the cranial vault, coronal, sagittal and lambdoid sutures were observed with separate edges and multiple ossification points.
Determination of age by applying the formula degree of closure of exocraneal suture [21] with a result related to age of 67.65 +/- 14.78 (53 - 81 years).
D.3) DETERMINATION OF THE STAGE.
The corresponding law was taken as reference, whose length was 410 mm. The height, according to the tables of Mendonça (2000) [22] would be approximately 157 ± 6.90 (151-164 cm).
With the data obtained it was possible to establish:
• This was an incomplete skeleton
• Co-responded to a male, aged approximately 67 ± 14 years (53-81 years) and a height of approximately 1.57 m.
• As for the physiognomic data, it was emphasized that the skull, in upper norm, was provided, in posterior norm had vertical development and in lateral norm was high.
The aspect of the face was provided between width and length and the nose was enlarged.
• Left lower limb injuries were old and were located in the ischio-pubic branch of the thighl, the tibial shaft and the diaphysis and the fibular neck.
The calluses of thigh and fibula neck fracture showed a more anarchic and intense bone regenerative process than in the assessed diaphyseal fractures.
• Postmortem lesions in the upper and lower extremities were most likely caused by rodents.
(e) additional proof.
The possibility that the analyzed bony remains corresponded to a particular man was guided by the police investigation.
For this reason, a request was made to the corresponding mental institution court for clinical data that could exist in hospitals in this city.
The judge sent a radiographic series from the reference hospital, where an image of the skull was found, located in the frontal sinuses.
A skull X-ray was performed in the same position as the undubited.
A portable XR200 Rx generator, model XR200, with an intensity of 5 pulses and a distance of approximately 50 cm was used. The image was revealed, printed directly on photographic paper Polaroid brand.
1.
The images of both radiographs were captured with an Epson GT 5500 scanner. Subsequently, the zones corresponding to the study were broadened with the Ado de AST 5.1 computer program.
Examination of both radiographs, MB and MB showed a total morphological analogy of the frontal sinuses.
The circular dense image located in the apex-lateral area of the right frontal sinus was especially significant and individualizing.
1.
The total morphological analogy of the frontal sinuses of the AM and PM radiographs allowed us to establish that the cadaver found corresponded to the person who was trying to identify.
