An exception or not? of Puppe’s rule

Abstract

When two fracture lines of a solid surface intersect, it is always possible to tell which one has been made first. In fact, any fracture lines caused by later impacts are halted by any prior surface damage. This well-known principle (which Puppe established in 1903) has primarily been used in glass fracture analysis, but it can also be used to examine skull fractures. It can help sequencing and determining blunt force injuries. In this context, we report the case of a 43 years old man, working as an industrial labourer, met with a road traffic accident in which he sustained multiple injuries and demised. His autopsy and examination of skull revealed an exception in Puppe’s rule.