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[Spinal cord injury due to penetrating missiles].

Gunshot wound of the spine is a major cause of spinal cord injury among US civilian population, members of the military armed conflict personnel, or civilians injured in terrorists attacks. The bullet fragments cause damage to the spinal cord even without penetrating the spinal canal. Concussive effects, heat, fractures or vascular injury may cause the neurological damage. Unfortunately, bullet or shrapnel removal or laminectomy do not change the prognosis. In this article we review the historical background, the Israeli experience, ballistic-forensic considerations, complications, treatment and prognosis.

Humans↗

[The specificity of gunshot wounds caused by rubber buck shot].

Described in the paper are forensic-medical cases related with examinations of wounds inflicted by rubber case-shot--a relatively rare ammunition. The morphology of the above wounds and specific features of deposition of "shot metals" in the damaged region were studied. The possibilities of fixing a shot distance and ammunition type were defined.

Female↗

[Energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry--a forensic chemistry method for determination of shooting distance].

The article follows up the experiences Energo-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) as the forensic necrochemical method as the tool for detection of metals (gunshot residues--GSR) in connection with gunshot-wounds of persons--authors: dipl. Ing. J. Havel and dipl. Ing. K. Zelenka and Energo-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) as the forensic method as the tool for identification of inlets (gunshot--entries) and outlets (gunshot--exits)--author: dipl. Ing. J. Havel.

Forensic Ballistics↗

A possible source of reference DNA from archived treated adhesive lifters.

During the course of a double murder trial, it became apparent that the two adhesive lifters from the two cadavers had been mislabeled before being presented in court. The question was raised whether DNA testing from the biological material remaining attached to the lifters could resolve this mix-up. In fatal shooting cases where a bullet has been fired through a body surface, an adhesive lifter is applied directly to the entrance wound. The total nitrite residues, as well as biological material surrounding the wound (blood, hair, tissue) are transferred to the adhesive lifter. The nitrite residues are used for estimating firing distance. In a worst-case scenario, the biological material on the lifter may be the only remaining reference material from a victim. In this paper, we examined whether the biological material retrieved from adhesive lifters could be used for DNA typing after the lifters had been treated for GSR pattern. In as much as the biological material found on the lifters can be typed and profiled following physical and chemical treatment, we submit that archived adhesive lifters can be used as a future source of reference DNA from cadavers where no other sample is available.

Alkalies↗

[Medicolegal aspects of witnessed suicide due to gunshot to the head. II. Legal medicine aspects and examination of the firing hand].

The second part of the paper on suicides by gunshots to the head in the presence of witnesses focuses on relevant morphological autopsy findings such as entrance site, signs of close range or contact shots, bullet path etc. and also discusses selected aspects of ascertaining gunshot residues. For the identification of the shooter an integral medicolegal assessment of all the facts including the investigation results and the autopsy findings is essential. However, the morphological findings alone do not allow safe diagnosis, as for example in a homicide the temporal region, which was affected in all our cases, may have been deliberately chosen by the perpetrator as a localization typical of suicide. Thus methods to ascertain gunshot residues on the firing hand (by means of adhesive films and the polyvinyl-alcohol collection method--PVAL) are of great practical importance. In seven cases adhesive films and/or the polyvinyl-alcohol collection method were used. In one case the gunshot residues (GSR) were analysed by means of tape lifts and subsequent scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that especially the combined application of topographical (adhesive tape/PVAL) and cumulative (SEM) methods allowed for the doubtless identification of the shooter, thus usually confirming the suicide. By the example of one case it is demonstrated that without the immediate collection of evidence at the scene objective reconstruction of the event becomes impossible. On the basis of the reported cases recommendations are finally given for a differentiated approach in the medicolegal evaluation of alleged witnessed suicide by gunshot (to the head).

Adult↗

Role of chemical tests and scene investigation in determination of range of fire.

Forensic pathologists have historically found several characteristics of the entrance wound invaluable in determining range of fire in gunshot fatalities. Among these characteristics are the pattern and constituents of any deposited material such as soot and/or gun powder residues. We describe a case in which the application of previously described characteristics, in the absence of laboratory testing and examination of the crime scene, would have led to an erroneous conclusion with potentially grave consequences. We suggest that all attempts be made to use available laboratory tests and to perform detailed examination of crime scenes in determining the circumstances surrounding fatal gunshot injuries.

Back Injuries↗

[Morphological features of gunshot injuries of the cranial bones].

Morphological characteristics of gunshot injuries of the cranial dome bones depend on bullet speed and are determined by various mechanisms of the harmful action. A contusion action of the bullet is characterized by disruption of the bone tissue with formation of linear or incomplete fracture. A wedged impact is accompanied with disruption of bone structures with formation of depressed or comminuted fractures due to radial dislocation of the fragments. A perforative impact produces a hole defect the shape of which depends on bullet speed. A bursting impact of the bullet causes disruption of the bone tissue outside the bullet defect as a result of an additional radial effect of high pressure of the air wave reaching in the wounds inflicted by high-speed bullets the effect of the hydrodynamic shock in the spongy layer of the flat bone. Resultant morphological manifestations are aggravated by damage caused by hydrodynamic shock coming from the cranial cavity.

Firearms↗

[Suicidal shot in the mouth with an unmodified blank cartridge pistol].

In the medicolegal literature reports of suicides with weapons designed for self-defence, especially gas pistols, are rare. We report on a suicide of a 54-year-old woman who fired a fatal shot in her mouth with an unmanipulated blank cartridge pistol, make Röhm RG 8, calibre 8 mm. The autopsy findings (lips and mucosa of the buccal vestibule without injuries, but extensive lesions of the tongue and the middle and rear third of the smooth palate) suggest that the shot was fired - as observed by a witness - with the barrel of the weapon inside the oral cavity. Both macroscopic inspection and histological investigations excluded the possibility that death was caused by an injury of the brain, in particular the brain stem. The immediate cause of death was deep aspiration of chyme with concurrent aspiration of blood.

Fatal Outcome↗

[Gun-shot fractures of the flat bones: mechanisms of development].

We studied experimental gun-shot fractures in the flat bones due to slow-speed bullets. We have found common features information of gun-shot fractures. Fragmentation of the bone tissue occurs within a Herz cone surrounded by ring-shape fissures as a result of crossing over of subsurface and median fissures. Invasion of the bullet into the bone thickness is accompanied with shift abruption of bone fragments, their parallel transfer, rotation and radial movement. In the injury with slow-speed blunt-pointed bullets the fragments move, as a rule, by parallel transfer and rotation. In the injury with sharp-pointed bullets, of a key importance is radial movement of the fragments changing characteristics of the gun-shot fracture.

Firearms↗

[Forensic medical characteristics of Glock 19 pistol-shot wounds].

An experimental study was made of gun-shot wounds inflicted by shots from a modern stub-barrelled pistol 9mm Glock 19. The study has ascertain characteristics differentiating injuries inflicted by shots from this pistol: specific recoil injury, specific topography, intensity and distribution of begrime, gunpowder and metal particles and relevant lesions. It was found that depth of penetration under the skin depends both on shooting distance and the position of the particle from the inlet.

Firearms↗

[Forensic-medical significance of the characteristics of gunshot perforating fractures of the skull bones].

The study was made of gunshot perforating fractures of calvarial bones in cases of lethal perforating head wounds in long distance shots from a 9-mm Makarov gun. Morphological characteristics of inlet and outlet perforating fractures and bone fragments were found to differ. Gunshot fractures in calvarial bones inflicted by bullets from a 9-mm Makarov gun were studied in experiments with different kinetic energy. In low kinetic energy, bullets make oval holes on the outer table of the skull and round holes on the inner table with radial prominences on the walls of bullet channels, large bone fragments; in moderate kinetic energy--make round holes in the outer table and oval on the inner table with skew prominences on the walls of the outlet part of the channels, large and middle-sized flat bone fragments; in high kinetic energy injuries on both tables were round, prominences were cross, bone fragments were flat, small and middle-sized.

Adult↗

[A complex study of damages inflicted by traumatic shots from the unstem gun PB-4].

Possibilities of a complex study of the damage to the body and clothes caused by shots from non-lethal arms (unstem gun PB-4 from a complex Osa) are illustrated by real expert tasks from forensic medical practice. A combination of experimental shots with emission spectral analysis of the objects of the study and targets is validated for determination of the patron characteristics and composition as well as shooting diastance.

Firearms↗

[Possibilities of spectral investigations of injuries inflicted by special arms].

Quantitative characteristics and application of different spectral methods are compared in experiment. Stab and gunshot wounds were studied by roentgenospectral fluorescent and emission spectral analyses. The above spectral methods detected significant quantities of alien material on the wounds depending on the kind of the weapon.

Forensic Ballistics↗