1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Foto rio Márcia Vaz, MD

Medicolegal identification of skeletal remains through antemortem bone changes The experience of the Medical Examiner’s Office in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America State population: 10,187,798 (2000 Census - IBGE)

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Skeletal Remains

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Positive Identification

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 1  August 2000  Found in Viamão  Skeletal human remains, no clothes  Presumed to be R.M.S.C

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 1- Findings  White, 40 to 50-year-old female, cm tall.  Right tibia and fibula with fracture callus in lower thirds, joined by bone bridge.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 1 – Presumed decedent  R.M.S.C  X-rays and hospitalization records (1998 and 1999)  Case 1 – Conclusion:  No negative matches and number of positive matches confirmed identification.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 2  February 2000  Found in Nonoai  Decomposed and clothed human remains  Presumed to be J.P.C.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 2 – Findings  White, 26 to 35-year-old male, cm tall  Left radius – fracture callus in upper third of diaphysis  Left ulna – callus at junction of upper and middle thirds of interosseous margin  Left femur – fracture callus and steel wire in middle third of diaphysis, metal rod in proximal half.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 2 – Presumed decedent  J.P.C.  Radiographic studies (07/23/96 and 08/14/96): Left forearm: fracture in transition from proximal to middle thirds. Left thigh: complete fracture in middle third of femur. Firearm projectiles. Metal rod to control femur fracture fixation

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 2 – Conclusion  No negative matches and number of positive matches confirmed J.P.C. identification.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 3  August 2004  Found in Venâncio Aires  Human remains with adipocere formation.  Presumed to be Z.M.S.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 3 – Findings  White, > 40-year-old female, 160 – 164 cm tall.  External female genitals  Right femur – fracture callus in distal end of diaphysis and distal epiphysis

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 3 – Presumed decedent  Z.M.S.  X-rays of right thigh and knee (09/04/00 and 09/17/00): metal plate and screws in fracture of distal third of right femur.  Medical records: three hospitalizations – removal of plate and screws, and treatment of right femur post-traumatic arthritis.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Case 3 – Conclusion  Comparison of medical records and radiographic studies with results of medicolegal examination revealed only positive matches. The absence of negative matches confirmed Z.M.S identification.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil 1 st Paleopathology Association Meeting in South America Conclusions  Anatomical changes due to fractures provide an efficient method of identification of skeletal and decomposed human remains when comparison elements are available.  In our community, it is difficult to obtain medical, hospital and dental records.  Identification by DNA profiling is the most frequently used identification method in our Service.

Medical Examiner’s Office - Porto Alegre, Brazil Forensic Anthropology Service