0258 - The Role of Forensic Anthropology and Orthopaedics in the Examination of Human Remains
Course Description
This course focuses on the examination and interpretation of skeletal trauma, healing, and surgical implants using an integrated anthropological and orthopaedic approach. It will cover the major aspects of skeletal trauma and healing, surgical pathology and implants, and features associated with antemortem and perimortem trauma, and postmortem breakage.
The webinar workshop is intended for novices interested in obtaining introductory knowledge of skeletal trauma and healing and expert forensic practitioners wishing to increase their knowledge and expertise of these topics.
Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion. No continuing education or academic hours will be given.
Course Outline
The webinar will be broadcast live from the JABSOM Bone Lab at the University of Hawaii. The instructors, Dr. Bob Mann and Dr. Paul Moroz will utilize known-identity human skeletons in the Willed Body Program. Webinar participants will be provided online instruction and encouraged to submit their comments and questions to the instructors through a live chat room. There will be real-time questions and answers. Following 10-minute breaks at 10:00am and 11:00am (Hawaii standard time/HST) each day, the instructors will answer as many questions as time allows. The workshop will include several forensic anthropology cases that the instructors have worked on in their careers, as well as short presentations by Kiana Miller of the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (Seattle, Washington) and Steven Labrash of JABSOM.
Day 1 – Forensic Anthropology and Skeletal Trauma
- The role of forensic anthropology in the examination and interpretation of skeletal remains (PowerPoint and JABSOM bone lab examples).
- Types of skeletal trauma (blunt force, sharp force, burned, and ballistic).
- The hyoid bone: Anatomical variation and trauma.
- A short history of the Mann-Labrash Osteological Collection.
Day 2 – Timing of Injury, Bone Healing, and the Postmortem Interval
- Antemortem and perimortem trauma, and postmortem breakage: What’s the difference and why does it matter?
- Evidence of healing in dry bones and what we should be looking for.
- How and why bone resorbs: An anthropological perspective.
- Taphonomic changes of human remains and the postmortem interval.
Day 3 – Clinical Orthopaedics, Trauma, and Medical/Surgical Implants: A Surgeon’s Perspective
- Introduction to clinical orthopaedics and orthopaedic implants.
- Differentiating bone disease, trauma, and the effects of surgical intervention.
- The integration of forensic anthropology and clinical orthopaedics: Different perspectives, complementary outcomes.
- Questions, wrap-up, and completion of training.
Topics and content subject to change.
Learner Outcomes
By the end of this course, participants should be familiar with:
- Human skeletal trauma and healing, surgical implants, and the effects of taphonomy both in the lab and the field on human skeletal remains.
- Some of the more common surgical implants and their use in forensic anthropology and personal identification.
- Different but complementary perspectives and approaches in forensic anthropology and clinical orthopaedics.
- The Mann-Labrash Osteological Collection.