Forensic 3D documentation of skin injuries

Area of Science:

• Forensic Pathology
• Medical Imaging
• Digital Forensics

Background:

• Accurate injury documentation is critical in forensic pathology.
• Traditional 2D photography limits the spatial representation of 3D injuries.
• Existing methods lack the precision for detailed, scalable injury analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of photogrammetry for documenting skin injuries in forensic pathology.
• To compare measurements from photogrammetric 3D models with traditional autopsy measurements.
• To assess the reliability and reproducibility of photogrammetry in forensic contexts.

Main Methods:

• Photogrammetry was used to create 3D models from 2D photographs of 165 lesions.
• Measurements from 3D models were compared to manual measurements taken during autopsies.
• Statistical analysis, including Wilcoxon signed-rank test, was performed to assess differences.
• Intra- and inter-observer variability was evaluated.

Main Results:

• Photogrammetric measurements showed minimal differences compared to autopsy measurements (mean difference ≤ 0.06 cm).
• No statistically significant differences were found between the two measurement methods (p > 0.05).
• Intra- and inter-observer tests demonstrated high agreement (mean difference ≤ 0.02 cm).

Conclusions:

• Photogrammetry is a valid and accurate method for documenting injuries in forensic pathology.
• It provides permanent, reassessable 3D injury documentation.
• Photogrammetry can be integrated with other 3D data, like CT scans, for comprehensive forensic analysis.