Fractography of Bone Using Reconstructed Computed Tomography (CT) Scans A Case Report Series

Abstract

Fractography has been shown to be applicable to forensic assessments of skeletal trauma by observing the presence and orientation of fracture surface features, which reveal information about the direction of crack propagation. Previous studies have examined dry or processed bone surfaces, often fractured under controlled experimental conditions. Here we assess a series of clinical computed tomography scans involving lower extremity injuries and find that a number of fracture surface features can be seen on three-dimensional computational models (surface and volumetric). These findings indicate that bone fractography can be used in skeletal trauma analyses without processing the remains and may also have clinical as well as forensic applications.