Death Year Estimation of Skeletal Remains by Radiocarbon Dating of Femur / 대한법의학회지

The identification for skeletal remains is one of roles of forensic medicine. For this purpose, dating, i.e., estimating the birth year and death year is expected as useful, however has not yet been practically applied. A dating method using radiocarbon analysis was recently introduced and related studies have been reported. In this study, we tried to confirm the applicability of radiocarbon dating for the identification of skeletal remains and to develop formulas to estimate the death year. Thirty-four autopsy cases from the National Forensic Service, from December 2014 to July 2022, with known death year were selected for inclusion. For each case, two samples were taken: the spongy bone of the femur head, and the compact bone of the femur midshaft. For each sample, radiocarbon analysis was carried out and the corresponding femur year were calculated using the bomb peak curve. The differences between the femur year and the death year were determined and analyzed on the influence of variables. A formula for estimating the death year was developed and the applicability of the formula was determined. The results showed that the difference between death year and femur head year was 14.2 years on average. In male, the difference between death year and femur head year increased with age, however, it did not show any difference according to age in female. The estimation formula of death year was as follows: (In male) Death year=0.993×(Femur head year)+0.288×(Age)+15.061, (In female) Death year=0.769×(Femur head year)-0.218×(Age)+489.676. The formula for male had relatively high explanatory power (adjusted R2=0.710), however, the formula for female had low explanatory power (adjusted R2=0.588). This study is meaningful because it is the largest single study of its kind, to date, and uses specific and identical skeleton (femur head/femur midshaft) to increase the accuracy of the death year estimation. We expect that the results of this study will be supplemented through additional research in the future.

Estimation of Forensic Sex Based on Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Skull in Korean: Non-metric Study / 대한법의학회지

This study performed the forensic anthropological sex estimation of Koreans in a non-metric way by reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images of skulls. The skull CT images used in this study were 100 (51 males, 49 females), and all CT images were taken with a slice thickness of 0.75 mm and then reconstructed into 3D images using the MIMICS 23.0 program. Using the reconstructed 3D image, measurements were repeated twice. The sex determination was male if the 4 point to 5 point was relatively more in five landmarks, and female if the points of 1 to 2 were relatively more. Results of the study show that, 88 of the 100 cases matched the actual sex. Among the 12 discrepant cases, ten cases were mismatched with the actual sex even though the estimation and repeated estimation readout of sexestimating were the same. Two cases, were “unknown,” showing different sexes in the first and repeated estimations. In conclusion, this study indicated that a forensic anthropological analysis from 3D images provided accurate point information on the landmarks of skulls, showing as high an accuracy as the sex estimation method using real bones. The ten cases of sex mismatch, except the two “Unknown” cases, are considered to be errors that did not consider differences in population groups. In further studies, further establishing a nonmetric, specifically Korean methods to increase the accuracy and reliability of sex estimation is need.

Usefulness of Near-infrared Spectroscopy for Diagnosis of Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage in Postmortem Inspection / 대한법의학회지

Near-infrared spectroscopy is a device used to determine whether traumatic intracranial hemorrhage has occurred and is primarily used for screening in emergency situations. In this study we examined the applicability of this equipment in postmortem inspection. This study included 124 autopsy cases and 59 postmortem inspection cases performed in the National Forensic Service from July 2017 to October 2018. We carried out the test using Infrascanner Model 2000 (Infrascan Inc.). Autopsy cases were divided into four groups (epidural hemorrhage or subdural hemorrhage group, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage or cerebral contusion group, nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage group, and control group) and analyzed. There was no difference in the test results according to the presence and type of intracranial hemorrhage. The possibility that variables related to postmortem change affected the test results was considered. In conclusion, this study confirmed that near-infrared spectroscopy is not suitable for the detection of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in postmortem inspection.

Usefulness of Near-infrared Spectroscopy for Diagnosis of Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage in Postmortem Inspection / 대한법의학회지

Near-infrared spectroscopy is a device used to determine whether traumatic intracranial hemorrhage has occurred and is primarily used for screening in emergency situations. In this study we examined the applicability of this equipment in postmortem inspection. This study included 124 autopsy cases and 59 postmortem inspection cases performed in the National Forensic Service from July 2017 to October 2018. We carried out the test using Infrascanner Model 2000 (Infrascan Inc.). Autopsy cases were divided into four groups (epidural hemorrhage or subdural hemorrhage group, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage or cerebral contusion group, nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage group, and control group) and analyzed. There was no difference in the test results according to the presence and type of intracranial hemorrhage. The possibility that variables related to postmortem change affected the test results was considered. In conclusion, this study confirmed that near-infrared spectroscopy is not suitable for the detection of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in postmortem inspection.

Usefulness of Near-infrared Spectroscopy for Diagnosis of Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage in Postmortem Inspection / 대한법의학회지

Near-infrared spectroscopy is a device used to determine whether traumatic intracranial hemorrhage has occurred and is primarily used for screening in emergency situations. In this study we examined the applicability of this equipment in postmortem inspection. This study included 124 autopsy cases and 59 postmortem inspection cases performed in the National Forensic Service from July 2017 to October 2018. We carried out the test using Infrascanner Model 2000 (Infrascan Inc.). Autopsy cases were divided into four groups (epidural hemorrhage or subdural hemorrhage group, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage or cerebral contusion group, nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage group, and control group) and analyzed. There was no difference in the test results according to the presence and type of intracranial hemorrhage. The possibility that variables related to postmortem change affected the test results was considered. In conclusion, this study confirmed that near-infrared spectroscopy is not suitable for the detection of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in postmortem inspection.

Evaluation of the Usefulness of Cardiac Enzyme Analysis for the Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Postmortem Inspection / 대한법의학회지

Acute myocardial infarction is one of the most common causes of unexpected deaths, but there are limitations to its diagnosis in postmortem inspection. In this study, we aimed to investigate the usefulness of cardiac marker analysis for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in postmortem inspection. This study was conducted on 30 postmortem inspection cases conducted by the National Forensic Service from 2016 to 2018. Tests for three myocardial enzymes (myoglobin, creatinine kinase-MB, and cardiac troponin I) were performed in each case, and the relationships between enzyme levels, cause of death, and factors affecting the postmortem tests were analyzed. Cardiac enzyme concentrations were not significantly different between the heart disease group and other disease groups, and the false-positive rate was increased due to postmortem changes. Therefore, we can conclude that it is not appropriate to use cardiac enzyme analysis for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in postmortem inspection.

Statistical Analysis of Postmortem Inspection Cases of the National Forensic Service Seoul Institute in 2017 / 대한법의학회지

This study provides a statistical analysis of 1,226 cases of death occurring in Area 8, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (Gangseo, Yangcheon, and Guro Police Stations) from January 1 to December 31, 2017. There were 427 postmortem inspection cases in Gangseo, 393 in Yangcheon, 377 in Guro, and 29 in other areas. The number of autopsy cases was 69 in Gangseo, 70 in Yangcheon, 86 in Guro, and seven in other areas. According to the postmortem inspection reports, there were 593 cases of natural death and 336 cases of unnatural death, while in 297 cases the cause of death was unknown. Of the 297 unknown cases, autopsy rates from each police station were as follows: 54 of 99 cases (54.5%) in Gangseo, 60 of 101 cases (59.4%) in Yangcheon, 67 of 93 cases (72.0%) in Guro, and in all four cases (100%) from other areas. Unnatural deaths included 215 cases of suicide, nine cases of homicide, and 64 accidental death, while 48 cases were undetermined. Among the unnatural deaths, the cause of death included 138 cases of hanging, 72 cases of falls from a height, and 32 cases of poisoning. Since this statistical study is based on actual postmortem inspection data for 1,226 cases of death in the eight areas of Seoul (excluding deaths from traffic accidents), it raises issues relating to the current postmortem inspection system, and can be used as reference material for a comprehensive overview of causes of death.

Statistical Analysis of Postmortem Inspection Cases of the National Forensic Service Seoul Institute in 2017 / 대한법의학회지

This study provides a statistical analysis of 1,226 cases of death occurring in Area 8, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (Gangseo, Yangcheon, and Guro Police Stations) from January 1 to December 31, 2017. There were 427 postmortem inspection cases in Gangseo, 393 in Yangcheon, 377 in Guro, and 29 in other areas. The number of autopsy cases was 69 in Gangseo, 70 in Yangcheon, 86 in Guro, and seven in other areas. According to the postmortem inspection reports, there were 593 cases of natural death and 336 cases of unnatural death, while in 297 cases the cause of death was unknown. Of the 297 unknown cases, autopsy rates from each police station were as follows: 54 of 99 cases (54.5%) in Gangseo, 60 of 101 cases (59.4%) in Yangcheon, 67 of 93 cases (72.0%) in Guro, and in all four cases (100%) from other areas. Unnatural deaths included 215 cases of suicide, nine cases of homicide, and 64 accidental death, while 48 cases were undetermined. Among the unnatural deaths, the cause of death included 138 cases of hanging, 72 cases of falls from a height, and 32 cases of poisoning. Since this statistical study is based on actual postmortem inspection data for 1,226 cases of death in the eight areas of Seoul (excluding deaths from traffic accidents), it raises issues relating to the current postmortem inspection system, and can be used as reference material for a comprehensive overview of causes of death.

Evaluation of the Usefulness of Cardiac Enzyme Analysis for the Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Postmortem Inspection / 대한법의학회지

Acute myocardial infarction is one of the most common causes of unexpected deaths, but there are limitations to its diagnosis in postmortem inspection. In this study, we aimed to investigate the usefulness of cardiac marker analysis for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in postmortem inspection. This study was conducted on 30 postmortem inspection cases conducted by the National Forensic Service from 2016 to 2018. Tests for three myocardial enzymes (myoglobin, creatinine kinase-MB, and cardiac troponin I) were performed in each case, and the relationships between enzyme levels, cause of death, and factors affecting the postmortem tests were analyzed. Cardiac enzyme concentrations were not significantly different between the heart disease group and other disease groups, and the false-positive rate was increased due to postmortem changes. Therefore, we can conclude that it is not appropriate to use cardiac enzyme analysis for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in postmortem inspection.

Radiocarbon Dating of Skeletal Remains: Case Report / 대한법의학회지

While radioactive isotope analysis has proved to be a useful method in disciplines such as archaeology and forensic anthropology, more recently, radiocarbon dating has allowed for a more nuanced biological profile of human skeletal remains. Radiocarbon dating has been made possible by the above ground nuclear bomb test conducted in 1963, which raised the level of atmospheric radiocarbon concentration to almost twice the natural level. Because the annually measured tropospheric ¹⁴C concentrations are integrated into the bomb peak curve, the time of birth and death of an individual can be estimated by comparing the radiocarbon content of a skeletal sample to the bomb-curve value. In July 2017, about 1,000 skeletal remains were excavated at the construction site of Sokcho. For medico-legal purposes, we conducted anthropological and odontological examinations of all the human remains. We then conducted the radiocarbon analysis on seven femora (head and body portions), five mandibular teeth, and soil from the site through a request to the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources. The results demonstrated that the estimated year of birth or death was prior to the 1950s. Due to the diverse distribution of results, we deduced that the human remains were from the local mass grave. This study supports and suggests the use of radiocarbon dating more frequently in the analysis of human skeletal remains.

Radiocarbon Dating of Skeletal Remains: Case Report / 대한법의학회지

While radioactive isotope analysis has proved to be a useful method in disciplines such as archaeology and forensic anthropology, more recently, radiocarbon dating has allowed for a more nuanced biological profile of human skeletal remains. Radiocarbon dating has been made possible by the above ground nuclear bomb test conducted in 1963, which raised the level of atmospheric radiocarbon concentration to almost twice the natural level. Because the annually measured tropospheric ¹⁴C concentrations are integrated into the bomb peak curve, the time of birth and death of an individual can be estimated by comparing the radiocarbon content of a skeletal sample to the bomb-curve value. In July 2017, about 1,000 skeletal remains were excavated at the construction site of Sokcho. For medico-legal purposes, we conducted anthropological and odontological examinations of all the human remains. We then conducted the radiocarbon analysis on seven femora (head and body portions), five mandibular teeth, and soil from the site through a request to the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources. The results demonstrated that the estimated year of birth or death was prior to the 1950s. Due to the diverse distribution of results, we deduced that the human remains were from the local mass grave. This study supports and suggests the use of radiocarbon dating more frequently in the analysis of human skeletal remains.

The Statistical Analysis on the Postmortem Inspection Cases of National Forensic Service Seoul Institute in 2016 / 대한법의학회지

From January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016, a total of 1147 postmortem inspection cases in Area 8, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (Gangseo, Yangcheon, and Guro police stations) were statistically analyzed. Autopsies were performed in 205 cases (17.9%), and the autopsy rates were 17.6% (75/426 cases) in the Gangseo police station, 9.5% (34/357 cases) in the Yangcheon police station, and 24.3% (82/337 cases) in the Guro police station. For 288 cases with an unknown cause of death, the autopsy rates were 70.0% (60/87 cases) in the Gangseo police station, 28.6% (26/91 cases) in the Yangcheon police station, and 63.1% (65/103 cases) in the Guro police station. For 65 cases due to fall from height, the autopsy rate was 7.7% (n=5). Of the 187 cases due to hanging, 155 cases were classified as suicide at the scene with a 4.5% (n=7) autopsy rate and 32 cases were classified as an undetermined manner of death at the scene with a 15.6% (n=5) autopsy rate. The distribution of the “manner of death” was natural death, 45% (n=516); unnatural death, 29.9% (n=343); and other and undetermined, 25.1% (n=288). Proportions of dispatch times were 50.9% (584 cases) during work hours (09:00–18:00), 13.8% (n=158) during evening hours (18:00–21:00), 13.4% (n=154) at night (21:00–00:00), 11% (n=126) at dawn (00:00–06:00), and 10.9% (n=125) during morning hours (06:00–09:00). The male-to-female ratio was 1.86:1 (746:401). These statistics are valuable for the evaluation of postmortem inspections by experts.

Usefulness of Dipstick Test for Vitreous Glucose in Autopsy Practice / 대한법의학회지

The concentration of glucose in the vitreous humor serves as an important diagnostic marker for diabetic mellitus in post-mortem examinations, as the vitreous humor can be easily collected and the glucose test using vitreous humor is not significantly affected by cell autolysis and hemolysis. For a quick and effective glucose test, we suggest a dipstick test of the vitreous humor during autopsy. The results were evaluated and compared with other methods for significance testing. In this study, vitreous humor was analyzed from 257 autopsy cases. Qualitative concordance rate of the dipstick test for glucose and the hexokinase test was 98.7%, positive prediction rate was 89.6%, and negative prediction rate was 100%. However, there was no significant correlation between the dipstick glucose test and the hexokinase test. We conclude that the dipstick glucose test is effective and useful for post-mortem glucose screening testing and for additional post-mortem diabetes testing. Recently, the importance of post-mortem glucose testing has increased with the increase in deaths from diabetes complications. The use of the dipstick glucose test in autopsy practice can improve forensic medicine in Korea.

Trauma Analysis of Cranial Fractures and Estimation of Its Related Weapon for Reference to Forensic Anthropological Decisions / 체질인류학회지

The role of forensic anthropology is to reconstruct the process of individual death by predicting the cause and manner of death as well as to find out biological profiles of unknown skeletal remains based on the data of physical anthropology. The purpose of this study is to suggest the data of decision-making process for cranial fractures and its related weapons of skeletal remains from the forensic fields. A hammer (31.7%) and baseball bat (16.7%) represented almost half of the blunt type of weapon used in the cranial fracture. The linear fracture was caused by most of weapons, the spider's web and depressed fracture by the hammer, and the comminuted fracture by the heavy tools such as maul, wrench, etc as well as the hammer. By the chi-square test, there were significant differences between fracture patterns and types of weapon that it was helpful to estimate the weapon of cranial fracture for forensic anthropological decisions. Conclusively, we could prepare the priority order of estimating cause and manner of death in the case of cranial fracture for the forensic context and suggest research design of physical anthropology about osteological biomechanics and taphonomy relating cranial fractures.

Construction of Medieval Skeleton Collections with Human Remains from Tombs of Goryeo Dynasty, Korea / 체질인류학회지

Skeletal remains collected from the archaeological fields must be maintained carefully, for being used in scientific studies on the physical characteristics, health status, and pathological disease of the ancient or medieval human populations. Even if Joseon Dynasty Human Sample Collection might be a good example for such studies, few of bone collections predated the Joseon Age (e.g. Goryeo Dynasty) have been established until now, possibly owing to poor preservation condition of archaeological sites in Korea. In this study, we performed anthropological studies on a few cases of Goryeo skeletons, which have been rarely reported by anthropologists in Korea. Judging from the preservation status of bones found in various types of Goryeo graves (e.g. earthen- or stone-chambered tombs), many cases seem to be cremated in accordance with Buddhist funeral rites. Goryeo bone collections must be constructed with the bones identified in the earthen tombs, which were preserved much perfectly than those of any other types of Goryeo tombs.