Historical, demographic, curatorial and legal aspects of the BoneMedLeg human skeletal reference collection (Porto, Portugal).

The BoneMedLeg research project was developed to address current research concerns related to the use of skeletal reference collections for forensic purposes. These concerns were partly addressed by amassing a new reference collection which incorporates unclaimed human remains sourced from two municipal cemeteries in the city of Porto, Portugal. Amassed between 2012 and 2014 the collection was developed with permission from and in partnership with the Municipality of Porto, in a manner that is similar to that of other skeletal reference collections in Portugal. Traditionally, municipalities have bequeathed human remains that are cleared from temporary primary and secondary burial plots at local cemeteries and deemed unclaimed, to museums and universities for research purposes. The BoneMedLeg collection currently includes a total of 95 individuals, of which only 81 are fully identified (38 males and 43 females), with ages ranging from 21 days to 94 years, and a mean age of about 62 years. Years of death range from 1969 to 2003, and years of birth from 1891 to 1969. Only about half of the individuals are documented as to cause of death, which includes a considerable diversity of etiologies, from oncological to cardiovascular system disorders, and also traumatic injuries. The collection is more representative of an unskilled working class and aged population, due to one of the main sourced cemeteries disproportionately serving more socioeconomic disadvantaged communities and reflecting the demographics of the city over the past 40 years. In addition to describing the history and curatorial process of the collection in detail, this paper also discusses its broad legal framework and potential biases in its profile and composition which can inform and help plan future research projects.

Post mortem genetic test, the clinical diagnosis is not fade with the death of the patient. / Teste genético post mortem, o diagnóstico clínico não se esgota com a morte do doente.

In up to one-third of cases of sudden death, the medico-legal autopsy finding is inconclusive, and the option to perform a molecular autopsy is covered in international guidelines. The importance of postmortem genetic testing lies in its ability to identify hereditary diseases, often those with an autosomal dominant transmission pattern, and, through consultations and screening of relatives, to identify family members with a pathogenic mutation, who are often asymptomatic, providing an opportunity to change the course of their lives. The authors present three clinical cases that highlight the importance of postmortem genetic studies and family studies, as well as the integration of the data obtained in a cardiology consultation, which may be for arrhythmology, coronary disease or cardiomyopathy, depending on the specific condition. This could modify the course of the disease in many relatives.

The value of radiocarbon analysis in determining the forensic interest of human skeletal remains found in unusual circumstances.

The case under analysis refers to the remains of a young adult female found in a shallow grave during the construction work of a hospital in Northern Portugal. The forensic interest of the finding could not be ruled out since distinguishing features pointing to an archaeological grave were lacking. For example, absence of archaeological artefacts could not establish its forensic significance with certainty, together with the absence of modern objects, such as remnants of clothing or personal objects. In addition, although the remains were badly preserved, the condition may not have resulted from a long post-depositional period, but instead could be explained by the geology of the site and the presence of plant roots. The radiocarbon analysis of the remains was meant to establish the death of the individual to before or after the mid-1950s, from comparison with bomb-curve content values. A value of 0.9789 ± 0.0044 for F(14)C (pmC = 97.19 ± 0.44% Modern or Δ(14)C = -28.1 ± 4.4‰) was obtained, which placed the death of the individual in the pre-mod-1950s period. This report illustrates the use of radiocarbon analysis in establishing whether the human remains are contemporary or not and describes evidence for what appears to be an historic clandestine grave.

Non-fatal gunshot wounds in the context of intimate partner violence. The importance of a multidisciplinary approach: a case report.

According to Portuguese law, if a case of intimate partner violence is noticed or suspected by a professional working in public services, reporting it to the police, medico-legal services or directly to the public prosecutor is mandatory. However, in most cases, reporting does not take place, despite its vital importance in triggering the multidisciplinary intervention that will ensure the correct and timely diagnosis and protection of the victim. In the present case, the victim, a 37 year-old woman, was sexually and physically abused by her husband in their home, and was physically abused again at the victim's mother's house. The victim mentioned that her husband struck her in the head with a hammer and shot a handgun while in her mother's house. However, she denied having a gunshot wound. The couple's daughter was also slapped in the face by her father. The police took the victim to the emergency room of a central hospital to receive medical attention, while the medical examiner on duty was called to the same emergency room to perform a medico-legal evaluation in the context of the intimate partner violence reported to the police. Medico-legal assessment revealed scalp injuries that had not been detected during the first inspection by the emergency room attending physicians who had performed a neurological examination, which revealed no neurological dysfunction. A cranial computed tomography with three-dimensional reconstitution and virtual dissection, requested by the medical examiner, revealed two projectiles trapped in between the inner and the outer table of the cranium, with linear fractures only in the inner table and no brain injuries. Gynecological examination with the collection of biological evidence, also performed by the medical examiner, made it possible to identify a male DNA profile matching her husband's. The victim was subjected to neurosurgery and a follow-up, and was released one month after the traumatic event. A forensic psychological evaluation, performed one month after the traumatic event, revealed the presence of reactive symptoms to the occurrence. This multidisciplinary intervention and the use of modern diagnosis imaging techniques allowed for a timely diagnosis and treatment, adequate protection of the victim and her family, as well as the identification of the aggressor, who was arrested.

Three-dimensional reconstitution of bullet trajectory in gunshot wounds: a case report.

In the medico-legal assessment of cases of aggression with firearms, imaging techniques have a particularly important role, especially in the study of a bullet's path through the victim's body. The analysis of these trajectories can be performed by the use of three-dimensional reconstitution techniques, namely Three-Dimensional Multi-Slice Computed Tomography (3D-MSCT). This imaging technique has been widely used in fatal cases, as a very important complement of the classical autopsy procedures, becoming known as "virtual autopsy" or "Virtopsy". To our knowledge, no reports describing the use of 3D-MSCT in non-fatal cases have been described in the medico-legal literature. The authors present a case of a man with a gunshot injury, in the context of a multiple aggressor situation, in which it was not possible to extract the bullet. To accurately determine the bullet's trajectory, 3D-MSCT was performed, thus contributing to a more reliable reconstruction of the crime scene in which the victim and the suspects were located.