Forensic wound age estimation (2003-2024): evolving perspectives on tissue viability and molecular pathology

Area of Science:

• Forensic Pathology
• Biomolecular Analysis
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Determining injury timing is a complex forensic challenge.
• Immunohistochemistry for wound viability markers shows promise for temporal injury analysis.
• Comprehensive bibliometric analyses in this field are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the landscape and emerging trends in forensic injury time extrapolation.
• To map the structural and thematic development of research in this area.
• To identify key contributors, publications, and thematic elements.

Main Methods:

• Systematic bibliometric analysis of 992 publications from Web of Science Core Collection (2003-2024).
• Utilized bibliometric tools: VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Pajek, and Scimago Graphica.
• Examined quantitative indicators: publication output, country/institutional contributions, authors, journals, keywords, and citations.

Main Results:

• China and the United States lead research output.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences is the most productive institution; International Journal of Legal Medicine is the most prolific journal.
• Keywords 'system', 'model', and 'expression' are dominant; recent increase in immunohistochemistry and wound viability marker studies.

Conclusions:

• Forensic injury time extrapolation is a growing research frontier.
• The rise of viability markers and immunohistochemistry indicates a shift towards molecular/cellular investigations.
• These methods hold potential for enhancing precision in forensic timing techniques.