Blast and Aircraft Crash Trauma: A Selection of WWII Cases from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory*, †.

This study examines patterns of skeletal trauma in propeller-driven aircraft crashes and blast-related ground loss incidents from WWII. Specifically, descriptions and criteria used to characterize aircraft deceleration- versus blast-related skeletal injuries are examined from 35 recently identified forensic anthropology cases to determine possible diagnostic traits and characterize skeletal trauma associated with these events. Among these cases, blast trauma is more localized within the skeleton and is associated with one or few primary directions of force. It is recommended that analysts differentiate between secondary and nonspecific blast trauma categories. Conversely, aircraft crash deceleration trauma is more widespread throughout the skeleton, with torsional fractures and injuries occurring from multiple or indeterminate directions. These traits reflect factors such as more complex loading environments than is seen in blast events. Two case studies are presented in detail to further illustrate differences in aircraft crash and blast-related incidents. Both studies emphasize consideration of the body as a whole unit to facilitate interpretations. While the cases presented herein result from historic war-related casualties that characterize the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's (DPAA) casework, these skeletal cases provide guidelines more appropriate than clinically derived criteria developed through assessments of soft tissue injuries. These guidelines can be used by anthropologists and pathologists working with skeletal remain from mass disasters and other complex contexts, as well as provide avenues for future research.

A Case of Contested Cremains Analyzed Through Metric and Chemical Comparison.

Since the 1980s, cremation has become the fastest growing area of the U.S. funeral industry. At the same time, the number of litigations against funeral homes and cremation facilities has increased. Forensic anthropologists are often asked to determine whether the contents of an urn are actually cremated bone, and to address questions regarding the identity of the remains. This study uses both metric and chemical analyses for resolving a case of contested cremains. A cremains weight of 2021.8 g was predicted based on the decedent's reported stature and weight. However, the urn contents weighed 4173.5 g. The urn contents also contained material inconsistent with cremains (e.g., moist sediment, stones, ferrous metal). Analysis using XRD and SEM demonstrated that the urn contained thermally altered bone as well as inorganic material consistent with glass fiber cement. Although forensically challenging, cremains cases such as this one can be resolved using a multidisciplinary approach.

Formulae for estimating skeletal height in modern South-East Asians.

Estimating stature in human skeletal remains of Asian ancestry is problematic for forensic anthropologists due to the paucity and uncertain suitability of regression formulae. To address this issue, our study analyzed 64 individuals from a modern skeletal collection of South-East Asian origin and developed population-specific ordinary least squares regression formulae to estimate skeletal height from each of the long bones of the upper and lower limbs, as well as from trunk length. Results indicate that the most accurate estimates of skeletal height from a single bone (as measured by standard error of the estimate-SEE) are from tibial length in males (SEE = 2.40 cm) and from humeral length in females (SEE = 2.59 cm), followed by femoral length (SEE = 2.84 cm). When multiple elements are considered, the combination of femoral and tibial length yields the best estimates in both sexes as well as combined sex samples (male SEE = 2.40 cm; female SEE = 2.77 cm; combined sex SEE = 2.54 cm).

A re-examination of cremains weight: sex and age variation in a Northern California sample.

The reduction of modern commercially cremated remains into a fine powder negates the use of traditional methods of skeletal analysis. The literature on the use of cremains weight for estimating aspects of the biologic profile is limited, often with conflicting results. This study re-evaluates the value of weight in the assessment of biologic parameters from modern cremated remains. A sample of adults was collected in northern California (n = 756), with a cremains weight averaging 2737.1 g. Males were significantly heavier than females (mean = 3233.2 g versus mean = 2238.3 g, respectively; p<0.001). Comparison of this sample with other previously reported samples from southern California, Florida, and Tennessee indicates a consistent sex difference, with the most similar mean values to the Tennessee study. Although cremains weight decreases with age as expected, the relationship is weak; thus, cremains weight cannot accurately predict age-at-death. While sex estimation shows considerable accuracy (86.3% for males and 80.9% for females), sectioning points may be population specific.