NCJ Number
138343
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 37 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1992) Pages: 1055-1060
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In a comparison of fresh and burned ground thin sections taken from the midshaft femorae of eight cadavers of known age and sex, this study found significant shrinkage of microstructural elements through the burning process.
Abstract
The femoral midshaft segments were cleaned of soft tissue. Thin sections made using a rotary sectioning saw were then degreased in acetone and mounted with epoxy on glass slides. Specimens, measuring between 3.5 and 7 cm in length, were ground, polished, and burned at between 1,000 and 1,500 degrees F in a propane-fired kiln for 30 minutes and allowed to cool slowly in the kiln. Visual assessment of the burned material at low magnification (40 times) suggested that canal size markedly increased in many instances. Extreme heat caused statistically significant changes in measurements of bone microstructure. Specifically, osteon diameter decreased through the burning process by 16.7 percent, while canal diameter increased by 10.5 percent. The current findings are compared to previous work on the subject, which found that microstructural elements increased through the burning process. 13 references and 1 table