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- Title
Study of injuries to neck structures in cases of hanging in Trichy district.
- Authors
Sekar, R. Chandra
- Abstract
Background: Deaths due to hanging are common among suicides. Various studies in the forensic literature have reported considerable differences in the frequency of hyoid bone or thyroid cartilage fractures and injuries to the musculature and the vasculature of the neck. Some important reasons to which these variations could be attributed include lack of a common method for examination of neck structures, varying degrees of thoroughness in examining the neck structures, and lack of seriousness in the documentation of the findings (like cases of hanging are almost always suicidal) thus affecting the results of retrospective studies. Aim of the study: To find out, the most common and most reliable criteria of neck injury, to say, that it is an ante-mortem hanging. Materials and methods: This prospective study was conducted in the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department Of Forensic Medicine, K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College, Tiruchirappalli from August 2019 to July 2020. Only cases in which the history and scene of crime examination report given by police and relatives of the deceased are suggestive of ante-mortem hanging were included. 63 cases of deaths due to hanging, which was subjected to medico-legal Autopsy, were the subjects of this study. Results: The age ranged from 13 years to 72 years. In 57 cases (90%), ligature mark was seen above the thyroid cartilage and in only 6 cases (10%) it was seen over and above the thyroid cartilage. 19 cases (30%) were typical hanging and 44 cases (70%) were atypical. Only in one case, the knot was below the chin. Out of 63 cases, carotid intimal tear and rupture/contusion to sternomastoid and other strap muscles was the commonest internal neck structure injury that was seen in 19 cases (30%) and 18 cases (29%) respectively. Hyoid bone fracture and thyroid cartilage fracture were seen in only one case (2%). Fracture of the cricoid cartilage and cervical vertebral fracture was not seen in any cases (0%). Conclusion: According to the present study hanging is more common in young adults mostly suicidal in nature. Congestion of the face is the most significant external feature in hanging while tonsillar hemorrhage is a significant internal feature.
- Subjects
TRACHEAL cartilage; HYOID bone; CARTILAGE fractures; VERTEBRAL fractures; HANGING (Death); NECK injuries; AORTIC dissection
- Publication
International Archives of Integrated Medicine, 2021, Vol 8, Issue 6, p55
- ISSN
2394-0026
- Publication type
Article