The Frequency of Cranial Base Fractures in Lethal Head Trauma

• Published in: Journal of forensic sciences Vol. 65; no. 1; pp. 193 - 195
• Main Authors: Crudele, Graziano D.L., Merelli, Vera G., Vener, Claudia, Milani, Silvano, Cattaneo, Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Accidental Falls - mortality; Accidents, Traffic - mortality; Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain Injuries - mortality; Child; Child, Preschool; cranial base fractures; Death; Female; Forensic anthropology; forensic science; Fractures; Head injuries; head trauma; human remains; Humans; Infant; Injuries; Injury analysis; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Physical Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Sex Distribution; Skull Base - injuries; Skull Base - pathology; skull fractures; Skull Fractures - epidemiology; Skull Fractures - pathology; Wounds, Gunshot - mortality; Young Adult; Italy; forensic science; cranial base fractures; forensic anthropology; head trauma; human remains; skull fractures
• ISSN: 0022-1198; 1556-4029; 1556-4029
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14149

The interpretation of cranial base injuries has never been investigated from a purely anthropological perspective. Very little exists in forensic literature in order to interpret the significance of cranial base fractures. We analyzed 296 cases of deaths due to skull–brain injuries. The frequency of vault fractures was 75.7% and that of base fractures was 91.9%. We observed the distribution of cases of death according to manner of death and manner of injury and number of fossae involved. These observations were analytically compared to different variables (age, sex, manner of injury, and mode of injury). The study presented the proportion of base fractures associated with vault fractures, and the frequency of absence of base fracture in subjects with no vault fractures. Interesting associations of base fractures to age and manner of death are shown.