Señales de intervenciones médicas en una muestra esqueletal contemporánea (La Plata, Argentina)

Abstract

One of the main objectives in several cases which involve forensic anthropologists is the positive identification of a victim. On occasions, when more precise methods for characterization of the individual such as DNA study are not feasible, another kind of signs can be used. For this purpose, signs of clinical interventions such as prosthesis and surgical steel material may be used. This is why analysis of frequency and dynamics of these devices is of vital interest for forensic sciences. The purpose of this study is to describe signs of medical interventions found in a documented contemporary skeletal series, allocated in La Plata, Argentina. Skeletons of 163 adults of both gender were observed. Those signs which indicated a medical intervention in the individual's life were recorded and hypotheses were elaborated as to the causes of such interventions. Twenty eight cases were detected, divided into three groups according to interventions in the mouth, prosthesis of the coxo-femoral joint, and a third group with surgical steel material, amputations and craniotomies. Prevalence of this type of signs would result in close relation to the age profile of the sample. This type of study contributes to the enrichment of forensic sciences, since new data about frequency of these signs in contemporary populations are provided.