Chapter 13. Blunt Trauma

Chapter 13. Blunt Trauma.

TRUE/FALSE. Write "T" if the statement is true and "F" if it is false

1. Blunt force trauma can result from many sources, including clubs, auto collisions, and falls from high places.
Answer: True      p. 266

2. The length of an object can be readily told from wounds resulting from blunt force trauma.
Answer: False      p. 266

3. The shape of an object can be readily told from wounds resulting from blunt force trauma.
Answer: False      p. 267

4. Generally, heavy objects swung against bone can cause catastrophic injuries to bone.
Answer: True      p. 268 – 269

5. According to Alison Galloway, there are at least seven different types of infractions.
Answer: True      p. 269

6. Transverse fracture is a type of infraction.
Answer: False      p. 269

7. In the skull, blunt force trauma causes both inbending and outbending of the vault bones.
Answer: True      p. 270

8. In the face, fracture lines usually appear between the three buttresses: malar eminence, nasofrontal process, and alveolar ridges.
Answer: True      p. 271

9. A ring fracture is a type of fracture that occurs on the face.
Answer: False      p. 273

10. The buttresses of the cranial vault are: midfrontal, anterior temporal, midoccipital, and posterior temporal.
Answer: True      p. 273

11. The edges of bone in ring fractures to the skull base include both inward and outward beveling.
Answer: True      p. 274

12. Butterfly fractures occur only in long bones.
Answer: False      p. 275


13. Forensic anthropologists should attempt to estimate the size, shape of an instrument that causes blunt force trauma.
Answer: True      p. 276 – 277

14. In some cases, the shape of the instrument causing blunt force trauma can be easily seen, as when a person is hit with a hammer.
Answer: True      p. 277

15. Estimating the direction of the instrument that caused blunt force trauma is the hardest aspect of wound analysis to determine.
Answer: False      p. 278

16. When estimating the energy of the instrument causing blunt force trauma, forensic anthropologists must consider both weight and speed.
Answer: True      p. 278 – 279

17. Forensic anthropologists should attempt to determine the number and sequence of events causing blunt force trauma.
Answer: True      p. 280 – 281

18. Repeated blows to the same area of a bone (e.g., skull) cannot be determined from characteristics of the fracture.
Answer: False      p. 281

19. Determining cause and manner of death in cases of blunt force trauma is as difficult as that for projectile trauma.
Answer: True      p. 282 – 283

20. Blunt force injuries to the top of the skull are indicative of homicide.
Answer: False      p. 283


MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

21. Which of the following characteristics of instruments that could cause blunt force trauma should be of concern to forensic anthropologist?
A   Size
B   Shape
C   Weight
D   All of the above
Answer: D      p. 266 – 269




22. Which of the following fractures or infractions involve an incomplete transverse fracture?
A   Bow fracture
B   Greenstick fracture
C   Toddler’s fracture
D   Depressed fracture
Answer: B      p. 269

23. Which of the following fractures or infractions involve an incomplete spiral or oblique fracture?
A   Bow fracture
B   Greenstick fracture
C   Toddler’s fracture
D   Depressed fracture
Answer: C      p. 269

24. Which of the following fractures or infractions involves compression along the long axis of a bone?
A   Bow fracture
B   Greenstick fracture
C   Toddler’s fracture
D   Depressed fracture
Answer: A      p. 269

25. Which of the following fractures or infractions involve shattering of a bone into multiple pieces?
A   Transverse fracture
B   Spiral fracture
C   Comminuted fracture
D   Epiphyseal fracture
Answer: C      p. 270

26. Which of the following fractures or infractions involve the ends of long bones?
A   Transverse fracture
B   Spiral fracture
C   Comminuted fracture
D   Epiphyseal fracture
Answer: D      p. 270

27. Which of the following fractures or infractions is caused by excessive torsion applied to a bone?
A   Transverse fracture
B   Spiral fracture
C   Comminuted fracture
D   Epiphyseal fracture
Answer: B      p. 270

28. Which of the following fractures to the cranial vault are most likely to occur in older persons?
A   Inner table fracture
B   Plug formation
C   Crushing of the diploe
D   Inner table crushing
Answer: B      p. 271

29. A Le Forte 1 fracture guides around which facial buttress?
A   Alveolar ridges
B   Nasofrontal process
C   Malar eminence
D   All of the above
Answer: A      p. 271 – 272

30. A facial fracture that has characteristics of all Le Forte fractures guide around which facial buttress?
A   Alveolar ridges
B   Nasofrontal process
C   Malar eminence
D   All of the above
Answer: D      p. 271 – 272

31. A fracture line that originates at the superior border of the eye and travels posteriorly and superior to the temporal line is being influenced by which two cranial vault buttresses?
A   Midfrontal and Anterior temporal
B   Anterior temporal and Midoccipital
C   Midoccipital and Posterior temporal
D   All of the above
Answer: A      p. 273

32. A fracture line that originates at the zygomatic bone and travels posteriorly along the squamosal suture is being influenced by which two cranial vault buttresses?
A   Midfrontal and Anterior temporal
B   Anterior temporal and Posterior temporal
C   Midoccipital and Posterior temporal
D   All of the above
Answer: B      p. 273

33. Which of the following types of fractures caused by blunt forces can occur in long bones?
A   Transverse fractures
B   Comminuted fractures
C   Butterfly fractures
D   All of the above
Answer: D      p. 275, see Figure 13.10

34. Which aspect of wound analysis involves measuring the dimensions of a wound caused by blunt forces?
A   Estimation of size
B   Estimation of shape
C   Estimation of direction
D   Estimation of energy
Answer: A      p. 276 – 279

35. Which aspect of wound analysis involves noting which side of the victim exhibits blunt force trauma?
A   Estimation of size
B   Estimation of shape
C   Estimation of direction
D   Estimation of energy
Answer: C      p. 276 – 279

36. Which aspect of wound analysis involves tracing the fracture lines from points of impact?
A   Estimation of size
B   Estimation of shape
C   Estimation of sequence
D   Estimation of number
Answer: C      p. 276 – 281

37. Which aspect of wound analysis involves counting the number of blunt trauma impact sites on a skeleton?
A   Estimation of size
B   Estimation of number
C   Estimation of direction
D   Estimation of energy
Answer: B      p. 276 – 281

38. Which aspect of wound analysis involves noting the amount of damage to bones exhibiting blunt force trauma?
A   Estimation of size
B   Estimation of shape
C   Estimation of direction
D   Estimation of energy
Answer: D      p. 276 – 279

39. Which aspect of wound analysis may involve fitting an instrument into traumatic injuries due to blunt force?
A   Estimation of size
B   Estimation of shape
C   Estimation of direction
D   Estimation of energy
Answer: B      p. 276 – 279
40. Which of the following causes of death is possible in cases of blunt force trauma?
A   Homicide
B   Suicide
C   Accident
D   All of the above
Answer: D      p. 282 – 283