Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Incidence and Patterns of Skull Fractures in Accidental Deaths at Davanagere, Karnataka


Affiliations
1 Dept. of Forensic Medicine Chennai Medical College, Irungalur, Trichy, India
2 Dept. of Forensic Medicine, RIMS, Raichur-02, Karnataka, India
3 Dept. of Forensic Medicine, RIMS, Raichur-02, Karnataka, India
4 Lions Eye Hospital. Koppal-32, Karnataka, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Fatalities as a result of accident claim a substantial number of lives in developing countries like India. Deaths due to road traffic accidents (RTA), may call upon entire spectrum of medico legal expertise. Injuries to head are common in road traffic accidents (RTA) and in cases of domestic accidents like fall from height, sports accident, industrial accidents etc., This necessitates us to widen the spectrum of study with respect to head injury involving skull fractures in fatal accidents. Hence the present study was conducted to know the incidence and patterns of skull fractures in fatal accidents with special reference to RTA. Skull fractures were observed in 41.8% of the total accidental deaths. Amongst these skull fractures, RTA was commonest cause (86.3%). Most victims were male (81.6%), motor cyclists were the commonest victims. Linear fracture (38.8%) was commonest pattern of fracture in RTA and depressed fracture (48.1%) was in cases of fall from height. Sub-arachnoid was the commonest type of intracranial hemorrhage.

Keywords

Road Traffic Accidents; Fall from Height: Skull Fracture, Intracranial Hemorrhage
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Tedeschi CG. The Wound: Assessment of organs system. In : Tedeschi CG, Eckert WG, Tedeschi LG, ed., Forensic Medicine, Vol.1, Philadelphia USA, 1977: p. 29-75.

  • Tonge JI, O’Reilly MJJ, Davison A, Johnson GN, Wilkey IS. Traffic-crash fatalities (1968-73): Injury patterns and other factors. Med Sci, Law 1977; 17(1): 9-24.

  • Chandra J, Dogra TD, Dikshit PC. Pattern of Cranio-intracranial injuries in fatal vehicular accidents in Delhi, 1966-76. Med Sci Law 1979; 19(3): 186-194.

  • Shkrum MJ et al. Skull fractures in fatalities due to motor vehicle collisions. JFSCA 1994; 39 (1): 107-122.

  • Konrad CJ, Fieber TS, SCuepfer GK, Gerber HR. Are fractures of the base of the skull influenced by the mass of the protective helmet? A retrospective study in fatally injured motorcyclists. J Trauma 1996; 41(5): 854-858.

  • Hartshorne NJ, Harruff RC, Alvord EC. Fatal head injuries in ground-level falls. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1997; 18 (3): 258-264. Hartshorne NJ, Harruff RC, Alvord EC. Fatal head injuries in ground-level falls. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1997; 18 (3): 258-264.

  • Sanjeev L, Agnihotri AK, Ashok T, Murthy OP. Patterns of injuries in fatal falls from height-A retrospective review. JFMT 1999; 16(2): 38-45.

  • Sharma BR, Harish D, Sharma V, Vij K. Dynamics of road-traffic fatalities in Chandigarh a surprise. JFMT 2002; 19(1): 25-29.

  • Yavuz S, Asirdizer M, Cetin G, Balci YG, Altinkok M. The correlation between skull fractures and intracranial lesions due to traffic accidents. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2003; 24: 339-345.

  • Singh H, Dhattarwal SK. Pattern and distribution of injuries in fatal road traffic accidents in Rohtak (Haryana). JIAFM 2004; 26(1): 20-24.

  • Gupta S, Roychowdhary UB, Deb PK, Moitra R, Chettri D. Demographic study of fatal craniocerebral road traffic injuries in North Bengal region. Medicolegal Update 2007; 7(1): 1-3.

  • Chavali KH, Sharma BR, Harish D, Sharma A. Head injury: The principal killer in road traffic accidents. JIAFM 2006; 28(4): 0971-0973.


Abstract Views: 451

PDF Views: 0




  • Incidence and Patterns of Skull Fractures in Accidental Deaths at Davanagere, Karnataka

Abstract Views: 451  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

K. Manish
Dept. of Forensic Medicine Chennai Medical College, Irungalur, Trichy, India
Gurudatta S. Pawar
Dept. of Forensic Medicine, RIMS, Raichur-02, Karnataka, India
Rajesh Sangram
Dept. of Forensic Medicine, RIMS, Raichur-02, Karnataka, India
N. S. Jyothi
Lions Eye Hospital. Koppal-32, Karnataka, India

Abstract


Fatalities as a result of accident claim a substantial number of lives in developing countries like India. Deaths due to road traffic accidents (RTA), may call upon entire spectrum of medico legal expertise. Injuries to head are common in road traffic accidents (RTA) and in cases of domestic accidents like fall from height, sports accident, industrial accidents etc., This necessitates us to widen the spectrum of study with respect to head injury involving skull fractures in fatal accidents. Hence the present study was conducted to know the incidence and patterns of skull fractures in fatal accidents with special reference to RTA. Skull fractures were observed in 41.8% of the total accidental deaths. Amongst these skull fractures, RTA was commonest cause (86.3%). Most victims were male (81.6%), motor cyclists were the commonest victims. Linear fracture (38.8%) was commonest pattern of fracture in RTA and depressed fracture (48.1%) was in cases of fall from height. Sub-arachnoid was the commonest type of intracranial hemorrhage.

Keywords


Road Traffic Accidents; Fall from Height: Skull Fracture, Intracranial Hemorrhage

References