Virtual casting of stab wounds in cartilage using micro-computed tomography.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Serrated knives in homicidal stabbings create characteristic striations on costal cartilage.
• Traditional methods for recording these striations, like dental casting, are time-consuming and potentially destructive.
• Accurate analysis of striations is crucial for determining class and individualizing characteristics of the weapon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning for analyzing stab wound striations in cartilage.
• To assess micro-CT as a non-destructive technique for recording and virtually casting striation patterns.
• To determine if micro-CT can capture both class and individualizing characteristics of serrated blade marks.

Main Methods:

• Stab tracks were created in porcine cartilage using a coarsely serrated blade.
• The stab tracks were scanned using a bench-top micro-computed tomography scanner.
• Proprietary software was used to manipulate the scanned images and create virtual casts.

Main Results:

• Micro-CT scanning successfully demonstrated the characteristic irregularly regular striation patterns in the cartilage.
• Virtual casts of the striations were generated from the micro-CT data.
• The potential for imaging fine, individualizing tool marks requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• Micro-computed tomography scanning shows significant promise as a non-destructive method for recording and analyzing serrated knife striations in cartilage.
• This technique offers a potential advancement over traditional casting methods in forensic investigations.
• Further research is needed to confirm the resolution capabilities for individualizing characteristics.