Medico-legal Examination Research Articles

The courts, neuropsychologists and Covid-19: The case for tele-neuropsychology

Covid-19 is presenting clinical neuropsychologists in medico-legal practice with the opportunity to expand their skills, and embrace new technologies for developing comprehensive and valid expert opinion for the court. Here we discuss issues practitioners need to consider when providing expert evidence obtained from tele-neuropsychology assessments and we present suggestions to guide good practice. The validity of across-modality neurocognitive testing is addressed, as is the importance of behavioural analysis for which tele-neuropsychology provides some distinct advantages. Tele-neuropsychology is not suitable for all clients, but for appropriate referrals it is a reliable modality for medico-legal examination. It is likely to remain a useful and necessary approach in the medico-legal arena, both through and beyond the current pandemic.

An overview of sexual assault cases in Bangladesh

Sexual assault is defined as any sexual act performed by one (or more) person(s) on another without consent. It may include the use of threat or force. In some cases, the person cannot give consent to sex because he/she is unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. A person may be raped by a stranger, an acquaintance or date or a family member. The purpose of the present study was to find out the medicolegal findings of rape victims in order to point out the visible loopholes of the procedure. This was a cross sectional descriptive type of study which was done in the Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, Dhaka , Bangladesh from January to December 2015 with maintaining ethical issues. Rape cases were sent for medicolegal examination and victims who ultimately agreed to do medicolegal examinations were examined and opinions were given regarding the issues. In this study, majority (70.0%) of the victims was within 11 to 20 years of age and 65.0% of the victims were unmarried. Almost 68.0% of the victims were examined within 7 days followed by 32.0% of the victims after 7 days to beyond one month after rape; however, 48.0% of the victims showed sign of recent hymeneal tear with bruise and abrasion followed by 52.0% showed sign of old hymeneal tear. Spermatozoa were not found in any of the specimen of high vaginal swab. Young adults remain the most vulnerable group, so education related to sex, morality, humanity and different life skills training should be provided to these groups from their school years itself. The benefits of early intervention and comprehensive care of survivors with the use of standardized protocols along with shorter and lesser traumatic period of court processing to the survivors of these cases should be encouraged.

The value of MRI for assessing danger to life in nonfatal strangulation

• MRI is recommended in cases of strangulation with few or no superficial skin lesions and only a few petechiae but subjective symptoms. • The quantity and quality (extent/size) of MRI findings must be considered for the assessment of life-threatening strangulation. • Distinct intramuscular hemorrhage may be an indicator of a severe assault. • The validity of hemorrhagic lymph nodes as an indicator of life-threatening strangulation is controversial. • Perilaryngeal fluid accumulation appear to be a potentially relevant finding in chokeholds. The assessment of danger to life (DTL) is the central question for medicolegal reports in cases of nonfatal strangulation. Petechiae (petechial hemorrhages on conjunctivae, mucosal surfaces and facial skin), and subjective symptoms, such as loss of consciousness, serve as indicators for the forensic assessment of DTL. However, only distinct petechiae are considered an objective finding for life-threatening strangulation. Since the presence of only a few petechiae does not necessarily indicate an asphyxial process and since petechiae may vanish within 1-3 days after the incident, further objective indicators are desired. Radiologic imaging has been considered a potential supplement for the forensic assessment of DTL. Computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly used radiologic modality for detecting the extent of injuries from blunt trauma to the neck and CT angiography allows the diagnosis of vascular injuries, such as carotid dissection. However, the focus of clinical radiology is the diagnosis of injuries that require medical treatment; thus, the applied examination methods and imaging protocols are not necessarily appropriate for forensic assessment in cases of strangulation. Furthermore, exposing a victim to radiation using CT may not be justifiable if the victim does not present severe symptoms. Consequently, noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been considered for medicolegal examinations in cases of nonfatal strangulation. The aim of this article is to discuss the role and potential value of MRI for the assessment of DTL in cases of nonfatal strangulation. For this purpose, the results, conclusions and recommendations of individual studies were compared and assessed.

Medico-legal assessment of personal damage in older people: report from a multidisciplinary consensus conference

Ageing of the global population represents a challenge for national healthcare systems and healthcare professionals, including medico-legal experts, who assess personal damage in an increasing number of older people. Personal damage evaluation in older people is complex, and the scarcity of evidence is hindering the development of formal guidelines on the subject. The main objectives of the first multidisciplinary Consensus Conference on Medico-Legal Assessment of Personal Damage in Older People were to increase knowledge on the subject and establish standard procedures in this field. The conference, organized according to the guidelines issued by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), was held in Bologna (Italy) on June 8, 2019 with the support of national scientific societies, professional organizations, and stakeholders. The Scientific Technical Committee prepared 16 questions on 4 thematic areas: (1) differences in injury outcomes in older people compared to younger people and their relevance in personal damage assessment; (2) pre-existing status reconstruction and evaluation; (3) medico-legal examination procedures; (4) multidimensional assessment and scales. The Scientific Secretariat reviewed relevant literature and documents, rated their quality, and summarized evidence. During conference plenary public sessions, 4 pairs of experts reported on each thematic area. After the last session, a multidisciplinary Jury Panel (15 members) drafted the consensus statements. The present report describes Conference methods and results, including a summary of evidence supporting each statement, and areas requiring further investigation. The methodological recommendations issued during the Conference may be useful in several contexts of damage assessment, or to other medico-legal evaluation fields.

Profile of sexual offences: A 4 year retrospective study at tertiary care hospital of Western Maharashtra

Introduction: Sexual violence affects millions of women worldwide cutting across cultural and religious barriers. Although under reported, it is a frequent and significant public health issue in countries of both the developed and developing world. Aims: This retrospective study was carried out to know the different aspects of sexual assault. Materials and Method: This study was carried out in department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Dr Vaishampayan Memoral Government Medical College Solapur, Maharashtra from January 2013 to December 2016. This study is based on the medico-legal examination record of sexual assault victim. Results: An increase in number of cases of sexual assault per year is observed. Age wise distribution showed that 59.60% cases were in age group 11-20 years consisting of major affected group. The 77.83% victims were unmarried. The victims from rural area were 41.16% and from urban area were 58.84%. About 62.26% victims were student. In this study most of the assailants were known to the victim, only16.62 % were strangers to victim. Most of the incidences (38.52%) took place in assailant’s house. In 19.79% cases there was evidence of external injury. Conclusion Comprehensive reporting on all forms of sexual violence is necessary. Social awareness, sensitization and protection programs should be a high priority. Keywords: Rape, Victim, Sexual offences, Solapur

In situ identification of Action 4, SECA and QD-PEP bullets from special police ammunitions by computed tomography.

Special deformation bullets were developed for police forces to achieve a defined penetration depth (avoiding over-penetration) and a controlled energy transfer (avoiding collateral damage). This article focuses on Action 4, SECA and QD-PEP bullets. These 9 mm bullets were specially designed for controlled deformation. The characteristic slight mushrooming with a front cross-section of approximately 11.5 mm after entering a ballistic simulant was verified in ballistic tests. To achieve such slight mushrooming, the projectile's core is hollowed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of visualising the hollowed cores of Action 4, SECA and QD-PEP bullets using a standard clinical computed tomography (CT) scanner for non-invasive identification of these special bullets from police ammunitions. First, undeformed specimens were scanned to reveal the shape of the hollowed core of each type of special bullet. Second, Action 4, SECA and QD-PEP bullets were fired towards animal cadaver models to visualise their hollow core after deformation inside biological tissue. Third, two reviewers were tasked with identifying special bullets from police ammunition (Action 4 bullets: n = 3) among 10 CT examinations of humans with lodged projectiles who were selected by the supervisor of the study. The CT scans of the undeformed specimens revealed the special design of the bullets' metal core. All special bullets from police ammunitions that were fired towards an animal cadaver model demonstrated the characteristic slight mushrooming. In accordance with the CT scans of the undeformed bullets, visualisation of the individual internal cavities of the special bullets allowed the Action 4, SECA and QD-PEP bullets to be clearly distinguished. With regard to the real forensic cases, both reviewers clearly identified each of the three Action 4 bullets among all other lodged projectiles. This study demonstrates the feasibility of identifying Action 4, SECA and QD-PEP bullets from special police ammunitions by CT. The individual shapes of the cavity inside the bullets were clearly visible on CT. In situ identification of these bullets can aid in the assessment of injuries, and since these bullets are fabricated from non-ferromagnetic metals, their clear identification allows for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without the risk of bullet movement inside the body due to the magnetic pull of the MRI unit. Furthermore, this approach could be of great interest to forensic investigators if patients who received gunshot wounds underwent non-operative treatments and the projectile remains in the body. Since the use of CT is also increasing for medico-legal post-mortem examinations, the identification of lodged projectiles is of interest for a virtual autopsy or 'Virtopsy'.

Distribution and Determinants of Rape Victims: A Retrospective Analysis

Background: Rape is a very alarming situation in the context of Bangladesh. It is the most common form of violence against woman. In Bangladesh, rape is found as the second commonly reported form of violence against women, following dowry related harassment. However, sexual violence has a great impact on physical and mental state of health with an increased range of sexual & reproductive health problem.
 Objectives: To describe rape victims medico-legal examination findings those includes sociodemographic characteristics, location of victim's residence, victims signs of struggle / violence & condition of hymen, status of victims vaginal swab test report, state of victim's mental condition & sexual abuse, state of victim's sign of Non-Genital Violence & state of accused and victim's status of pregnancy as well.
 Methods: This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study taken from a retrospective record review which was done in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh from 29th Oct 2017 to 30th Sep 2019 with the support of department faculties in reviewing the records using a checklist.
 Results: More than 60% victims were within 15-29 years of age with mean age 18.69 years and SD: + 5.921. Among the victims 27.5% had no formal education & almost 78% victims' occupation was student and garment workers. The study revealed that 76.3% victims were single (Unmarried) and 34.8% & 19.3% of the victims' residence was Ashulia, & Dhamrai respectively. Among the victims only 67.6% had the consent for medico-legal examination. Signs of struggle / violence was present only on 5.71% and ruptured hymen was found in 96.43% of victims respectively. Negative spermatozoa were found among all respondents. All of the respondents were found as Anxious and depressive. Moreover, state of sexual abuse was present among 98.57% respondents and 96.43% victims had the state of non-genital violence. Almost 95% of the victim's examination was done between more than 7 days to 1 month. Only 5% of the victims were found pregnant.
 Conclusion: The study findings demand a growing need focusing in developing strategies for the care & support of rape victims. An adequate legal coverage for the rape victims, a post rape health and social services can be considered an unmet need for the society in deed.
 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 11, No. 1: Jan 2020, P 41-45

An Analysis of Medicolegal Reporting in Workman Injuries Referred for Medicolegal Examination in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Sri Lanka.

Introduction:A reasonable number of workman injuries are reported for medicolegal examination every year. In addition to report on the degree of severity and consistency of the injuries with the historical evidence, the medical officers are expected to opine on degree of disability as well. However, routine Medicolegal Examination Form or Report used in Sri Lanka to report these cases does not carry a section for disability or impairment.Objective:To gain an insight into the pathology of workplace injuries and to evaluate the role of medicolegal examination and reporting among the victims presented with injuries at work.Methods:A retrospective descriptive study was carried out on workmen who were referred for medicolegal examination during a period of 5 years in a Tertiary Care Hospital in the Western Province of Sri Lanka.Results:Out of 172 subjects who got injured at work, none had claimed for a report of compensation. 47% (81) of the injured workers were in the age group of 19–30 years. 81% (139) were males. Factory workers were the most vulnerable workers (34%) followed by drivers (15%). A majority 39% (67) of injuries were located on upper limbs. 52% (90) of the victims had grievous injuries. However, a majority 61% (105) had no permanent disability.Conclusions:Disability is not a direct reflection of the category of hurt. Therefore, testifying on routine medicolegal reports on cases of workman compensation will not serve justice to the patient.

A ten-year-old boy hanging himself after being raped: A case report

There is little information regarding sexual abuse in children that might help identify those at a high risk of suicide. A ten-year-old boy was found dead while hanging himself in his room. Upon opening the door, his mother saw this scene. Crime scene investigation was performed for him, and her parents reported that the kid had no emotional instabilities or psychological problems. The first possible reason was that the suicide might have been caused by watching crime movies. Medico-legal examinations attributed the death to suicide. The signs of anal rape (new trauma) were observed in the dead body. Evidence suggested that he had hanged himself after being abused. Suicidal ideation should be seriously considered. Detailed forensic examinations could exactly determine the cause of crime.

Classification, age estimation and cause of injuries among non fatal road traffic accident cases in a tertiary care hospital

Introduction: Classification, dating and causative factors of an injury both in living and in dead is of crucial medico-legal issue in the field of crime investigation to fix the responsibility. The paper brings forth the most common pattern of injuries in Road Traffic Accidents, the most common causative agents and the age of injury when the patient reports for medicolegal examination at the casualty oftertiary care hospital

ALGORITHM FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF ENDODONTIC TREATMENT

Evaluation (including within the framework of medico-legal examination) of the quality and efectiveness of endodontic dental treatment is a matter of current interest in the clinical dentistry.Obiectives. Te aim of the work was to develop an algorithm of medico-legal examination in case of endodontic treatment, to test this algorithm in the work of the commissions of medical care quality control in the departments of therapeutic dentistry of outpatient dental clinics.Material and methods.Te material of the study was the reports of daily activities of dental clinics of various forms of ownership (municipal, departmental, private) in 3 regions of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don), including periodic reports and reference reports, ofcial statistical reports of the activities of the examined clinics, including registration books of the work of the commissions of the quality of medical care. Tese materials were used as a source of primary statistical information. Afer grouping of the information contained in them, the main data characterizing organization, condition and quality of endodontic care were recovered taking into account nosological entities: pulpitis and periodontitis. Taking into account the medical, statistical and analytical nature of the study, the main conclusions and recommendations were formulated on the basis of a retrospective study of these materials.Results. Based on the studies carried out and recommendations of the European Endodontic Association on provision of the standard of endodontic treatment, an algorithm for medico-legal examination of endodontic treatment was proposed. Tis algorithm allows to assess the quality and efectiveness of endodontic treatment of pulpitis and periodontitis in diferent terms (immediately afer treatment, remote period)Conclusion. Te use of the developed algorithm in clinical practice in internal quality control of endodontic care has shown its efectiveness. A large number of clinical cases of insufcient quality of endodontic treatment and its low efectiveness in the remote period indicate persistence of the potential for claims from patients.

MEDICO-LEGAL EXPERTS OF THE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: THE BEGINNING OF THE BIG WAY

The initial stage of the work organization and carrying out of medico-legal examinations in the system of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is clarified. The prospects of activities of the medico-legal experts of the Investigative Committee in the light of the founding a separate expert institution are discussed.. As a result of the positive experience obtained from the work of the medico-legal experts of the Investigative Committee, the regional departments of the Investigative Committee were given the opportunity to introduce the positions of medico-legal experts. The department of medico-legal examinations was created in the department of organization of forensic science activities of the Main Department of Forensic Science (Forensic Center), the head of the department was appointed, and painstaking work was begun on selection of personnel and organization of the performing the medico-legal examinations.

REVIEW OF THE THREE-VOLUME EDITION «MEDICOLEGAL EXAMINATION OF A CORPSE» PENNED BY DAVID DOLINAK, EVAN W. MATCHES, EMMA O. LEW (TRANSLATION FROM ENGLISH UNDER THE EDITORSHIP OF PROFESSOR V . A. KLEVNO)

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor A. M. Tsiatsiuyeu has reviewed the three-volume textbook «Medico-legal examination of a corpse» penned by D. Dolinak, E. W. Matches, E. O. Lew (translated from English under the editorship of Prof. V. A. Klevno), published in 2019 by the «Practical medicine» publishing house. The textbook is recommended for use by forensic pathologists, interns and clinical residents in the specialty «Forensic Medicine», and as additional literature by students of medical schools studying forensic medicine. In addition, the book can be used by law enforcement officials, courts and advocates.

Recent trends in child rape crisis in Delhi (India): A forensic overview

Sexual assaults and rapes are such violent crimes that not only leave the victims physically assaulted but also emotionally traumatized or even dead. In 2002, WHO (World Health Organization) estimated that 150 million girls and 73 million boys under the age of 18 years had experienced sexual assault which is one of the most common but unreported crime. Children below the age of 18 suffer all forms of sexual activities that include vaginal-fingering, anal-fingering, vaginal and/or anal penetration, looking at sexual parts with psychiatric sense, voyeurism, or pornography. In spite of all the laws, education and awareness, Child Sexual Assault (CSA) cases were recorded to have been tremendously increasing especially in the metropolitan cities. Studies prove that the incidence is far bigger than what is reported to authorities and the frequency of CSA cases is therefore difficult to determine as they are often not reported. Sexual assault and rape victims seek out official provision amenities in the acute period that may even be stretched to days, weeks, months or years following the sexual assault. This delayed disclosure may be challenging for the purpose of eliciting the tell-tales from the evidence that could be the only way to establish the link between the accused and the crime.The objective of our study is to evaluate the overall crime rate of Delhi NCR in the year 2017–2018 and to study the reasons associated with delayed reporting. Rising out of the analysis, the secondary objective of the study is to find the possible effects of delayed medico legal examination on forensic DNA evidence. The emphasis is given on the cases reported U/S 376 IPC (this section stipulates punishments that are awarded if a person is convicted to rape), U/S 377 (this section describes punishment for whoever voluntarily commits unnatural intercourse with any human being or animal) and POCSO Act (Child Sexual Assault). The victims in this study are in the age range of 2 months to 17 years; unmarried, predominantly adolescents, having very low social and educational status. Involvement of Juvenile offenders in committing rape is quite high. In most of the cases the offenders are either neighbor and/or known to the victim. The objective of our study is to evaluate the statistical percentage of child sexual abuse cases.

Sexual Assault Forensic Examination in adult and child cases: Is Colposcopy Really Necessary?

Sexual assault is a complex situation with medical, psychological, and legal aspects. Victims should be examined by a specially trained medico-legal examiner to collect evidence and avoid multiple examinations. The use of colposcopy in child and adult sexual assault cases is becoming increasingly more widespread however; it is still not a routine aspect of all examinations in most countries. The present study aimed to evaluate the importance of using the colposcope in the examination of the sexual assault cases admitted to the violence against women and child clinic in the Forensic Medicine Authority in Egypt. The study included (150) cases, divided into two groups according to age: Group A (1 to 18 years) (124) male and female children and Group B (19-40 years) (26) females. -General, then local examination with the naked eye and colposcopy had been performed. Internal genitalia was examined by using disposable plastic Casco in adult non-virgin victims only. -Vaginal and anal swabs were collected for the detection of seminal stains. The results of the colposcopic examination revealed a significant difference in both negative and positive results when compared to the other methods of examination (naked eye, swabs, and clothes examination). Colposcopic magnification power with high resolution and illumination light permits to discover microtrauma which may not be discovered with a normal examination by naked eyes. Colposcope seems to be an important noninvasive tool for the examination of children and adults when sexual abuse is suspected. Its documentation could allow for supervision, teaching, and second opinions in an ethically difficult setting. The colposcopic examination should be introduced to all forensic departments in Egypt to be used as a routine aspect of all sexual assault examinations. Future studies are recommended to be conducted on a national scale. Keywords: Sexual assault; Colposcope; Toluidine blue dye; Examination

ASSESMENT OF THE RELIABILITY OF FEDERAL STATISTICAL MONITORING DATA ON THE NUMBER AND STRUCTURE OF DIVERGENCES IN THE FINAL CLINICAL AND MEDICO-LEGAL DIAGNOSES

Objectives. To examine the objectivity and reliability of the branch statistical reporting on the number of deaths and divergences of the final clinical and medico-legal diagnoses in the hospitals of the Moscow region.Material and methods. We have investigated materials of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Expertise of Moscow Region and data of the Federal statistical monitoring № 14 «Information on the activities of the inpatient care units’ in the Moscow region in 2018. It was the sampling inquiry. The causes of death were grouped by classes and nosologiсal entities of ICD‑10. Research methods: documentary, statistical and analytical. Descriptive statistics of the absolute and relative values.Results. Significant differences between the data of Federal statistical monitoring No. 14 and the Bureau of Forensic Medical Expertise of Moscow Region were established both in the number of medico-legal examinations in relation to individual entities and in the number of established divergences of diagnoses.Conclusion. The form of Federal statistical monitoring No. 14 provides biased information in the section of information on cases subjected to forensic autopsy: input errors are 90 %.

POTENTIAL OF THE VIRTUAL AUTOPSY IN CASE OF FIREARM INJURY

The article presents the cases observed in the practice of the Office of medico-legal examinations of the Moscow Region when computed tomography (CT) was used for the first time in Russia for pre-autopsy examination (virtual autopsy) of three corpses with gunshot wounds followed by imaging-anatomical comparison of the results.Objectives. Determination of the injury volume, visualization of the wound tracts, localization of the bullets.Material and methods. Computed tomography was performed in radiology department using CT Scanner Hitachi Eclos‑16 (16 slices per rotation, slice thickness 1.5 and 2.0 mm) followed by multi-planar reconstruction of the images.Results. 3D reconstruction of the CT scans of the corpses has visualized the whole volume of the trauma. Firearm perforating skull fractures, crushing injuries of the brain, injuries of the thoracic and abdominal organs along the wound tracks, bullets at the ends of the blind wound tracks were revealed on CT-scans.Conclusion. Pre-autopsy CT with 3D-reconstruction has allowed to determine localization of the bullets in the bodies accurately. This allowed to choose the optimal examination tactics in each particular case and provided invaluable assistance in the search for the bullets. Virtopsy in the cases of firearm injury has great diagnostic opportunities in visualization and 3D presentation of the wound tracks and their direction. 3D CT has recorded the original position and characteristics of the skull fractures under the undamaged tissues. The authors made the assumption that a virtual autopsy could be a reliable alternative to traditional autopsy in the foreseeable future in cases of firearm injuries.

Medico-legal Autopsy in Evidencing of Homicide: Issues and Challenges

The project attempts to study issues and challenges that arise during a medico-legal autopsy and the consequential medical evidence by post-mortem surgeon in court of law. The research methodology which has been used is doctrinal in nature. Primary and secondary sources have been used in the study. The primary data has been collected from the judgments of Supreme Court, High courts, various enacted laws and reports of the Law Commission of India. The secondary sources which have been used are books, commentaries, research papers, articles, etc. The purpose of this study is to examine the effective use of scientific advancement in the investigation of homicide and the issues and challenges that have arisen in an effective use of knowledge of medical sciences for the advancement of criminal justice. The present study is limited to culpable homicides amounting to murder. Keywords : Homicide, criminal investigation, medico-legal examination, expert witness, autopsy Cite this Article Praveen Mishra, Ishraz Ahmed. Medico-legal Autopsy in Evidencing of Homicide: Issues and Challenges. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Toxicology . 2019; 9(2): 36–42p.

Medico legal aspects of injuries sustained by occupants of three wheelers in road traffic crashes: a study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in the central province of Sri Lanka

Introduction: Injuries and death due to road traffic accidents (RTA) are a major public health problem in third world countries like Sri Lanka. Sixteen percent of all vehicles used in Sri Lanka are three-wheelers. Statistics reveal a high incidence of impacts involving three-wheelers in Sri Lanka. Objectives: To determine the nature of the incident, nature of injuries and mechanism of causation of injury due to road traffic crashes among patients admitted to a tertiary care unit in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Methodology: Data on socio-demographic profile, type of occupant, nature of the incident, mechanism of causation of injury, type of injury, region of the body affected and severity of injury were retrieved from Medico-Legal Examination Forms (MLEF)of patients admitted after three-wheeler crashes to the Teaching Hospital Peradeniya from 2016 to 2018. Data were analyzed using SPSS VERSION22. Results: The commonest incident was the toppling of the vehicle (55%). Most injuries were sustained by the impact on an object inside the three-wheeler (44%). The commonest injury seen was abrasion (63%) and the majority of injuries were non-grievous (68%). Lower limb was the most affected (45%). More rear passengers were injured than drivers (62%). There was no significant difference in injury pattern between driver and rear passenger group. Conclusion: Toppling was the commonest type of incident with most injuries being abrasions and sustained by rear-seat passengers by the impact on objects within the three-wheeler. Recommendations: It is imperative that drivers and passengers are educated regarding safety measures and traffic laws.

To study the correlation between stature and facial parameters of human adults in North Indian population

Introduction: Stature is defined as natural height of human being in standing position. Each and every part are related with each other i.e. face, trunk, head and extremities. Stature estimation is important parameter when human remain such as mutilated body or facial remain of skull is brought for medicolegal examination for person’s identity. This correlation will also be helpful in anthropological and geographical research. Our study aimed to determine the stature from facial parameters that were morphological facial length, upper facial length, and lower facial length. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in department of Anatomy, SN Medical College, Agra, on 300 medical students aged between 18yrs to 25yrs out of which 164 are males & 136 are females. Stature of person was measured by anthropometric rod & morphological facial length, upper facial length and lower facial length were measured by digital Vernier caliper. The mean, standard deviation, regression equation, were calculated. Result: We observed correlation between stature &facial parameter and developed regression equation for it. The morphological facial length, upper facial length and lower facial length was found to be significantly higher in males compared to females. Keywords: Stature, Morphological facial length, Upper facial length, Lower facial length, Digital vernier calliper, Anthropometric rod.