Postmortem detectability of macro and micro elements on bone fracture ends and avaibility of distiction antemortem-postmortem fractures

Aim: Forensic physicians must evaluate bone fractures in human skeletal remains and answers that guestions, is this fracture be formed antemortem or postmortem, if it is antemortem, does it have an effect on the death of the person, if it occurred during antemortem period, which mechanisms it was be formed. In this study we aimed to investigate the usability of antemortem postmortem distinction and postmortem interval estimation by looking at the chemical element levels in the blunt fracture ends formed during the antemortem and postmortem periods in the rat mandible. Materials and Methods: In our study we used 48 rats. 48 rats divided 6 groups and each group contain 8 rats. We performed left mandible fracture all rats under anesthesia then wait 2 days for become organized to fracture hematoma. Then we sacrifice all rats under anesthesia and formed right mandible fracture. We take samples in fracture ending in 0. hour, 1. week, 2. week, 1 month, 2. month and 3. monht after performed sacrifications. Mg, S, Ca, Se and Fe elements were measured using the Inductively Coupled Plasma / Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The data obtained were analyzed for the difference between anemortem and postmortem fractures using the significance test of the difference between the two partners, and the variance analysis test for repeated measurements for postmortem interval estimation. P value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. Result: In our study, it was observed that antemortem magnesium, sulfur, calcium and iron elements were generally higher than postmortem values, although not statistically significant in all groups. Conclusions: In our study we use rat models and we come that conclusion elemental analysis can be used in antemortem postmortem fracture differentiation. But this aera need further study which used large sample and human bone remains for obtains more certain data. Keywords: Forensic medicine, bone fracture, postmortem interval