Mechanical or thermal damage: differentiating between underlying mechanisms as a cause of bone fractures.

ABSTRACT: To investigate the differences between pre- and post-fire fractures, 30 human forearm bones were subjected to either blunt-force impact, burning, or both. Bones, covered in soft tissue and wrapped in clothing, were burned in a reconstructed house fire. The burning context and dynamics led to differential burning, that was equal amongst the three groups. To evaluate the damage to the bones, a data collection sheet was developed based on the current literature on fracture features. To analyze the relation between exposure temperature and fracture class and occurrence, color was measured to estimate the exposure temperature. Observable and measurable changes on bone, and fracture surfaces, were macro- and microscopically analyzed. Many features overlapped between the three groups, and thus ar

SUBMITTER: S D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9170644 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature