[Limits for recognizing linear fractures of the cranial vault in radiologic diagnosis]

In case of failure to detect a vault fracture in fatal head injury the physician is often accused of medical negligence. The material for the study consisted of a macerated vault with fractures in different widths. In order to detect the threshold of perceptibility it underwent radiographic examination taking pictures under different projections. Our finding is that the presence or absence of a radiographic fracture depends on the width and direction of the fracture. Therefore it is impossible to detect every single linear fracture of the vault in routine skull examination. Clinical and medico-legal consequences are discussed.