The Opportunities of Modern Radiodiagnostic Methods in Expert Evaluation of Anthropological Material
The aim of the investigation was to assess the opportunities of carrying out an expert examination of bone material of the soldier remains of the Imperial army of Napoleon Bonaparte using modern radiodiagnostic methods. The expert examination aimed at the assessment of the fragments structure; the determination of the nature and incidence of bone and joint diseases; imaging and localization of foreign bodies with metal density of both primary and secondary gunshot wounds and saber cuts.
Materials and Methods. 24 bone fragments presented by Museum of Anthropology named after D.N. Anuchin, Lomonosov Moscow State University, were studied using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and digital microfocus radiography with direct multiple image magnification.
Results. The examination revealed the signs of inflammatory bone diseases, wrong consolidated and non-accrete fractures. We stated the nature of injuries in 37.5% of cases, and managed to characterize in detail the features of amputation stumps of limbs in 16.7% of cases. Space-occupying lesions were revealed in 4.2%.
Conclusion. The findings prove the necessity of applying modern radiadiagnostic methods with a wide range of possibilities of image post-processing to characterize battle damage of past wars. Cone-beam computed tomography can be used as a priority method in the assessment of structure and prevalence of pathological changes of bone tissue.
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