Ligature Groove (Strangulation)
Definition
The mark left by a ligature applied with extrinsic force in strangulation: horizontal, complete (encircling the neck), below or at the thyroid cartilage, with congested margins and subcutaneous haemorrhage.
- Context
- Ligature strangulation
- Orientation
- Horizontal
- Continuity
- Complete, encircling the neck
- Typical level
- Below or at the thyroid cartilage
- Tissue signs
- Congested margins, subcutaneous haemorrhage
Common questions
Why is the strangulation groove complete while a hanging groove is typically open?+
Strangulation applies force from an external source pulling the ligature evenly around the entire neck, unlike hanging where body weight pulls the ligature toward one suspension point, so the resulting mark encircles the neck fully rather than leaving a gap.
What do congested margins and subcutaneous haemorrhage indicate about the mechanism?+
These vital reaction signs show the tissue was compressed while the heart was still pumping blood against the obstruction, which helps confirm the compression occurred before death rather than being an artefact of post-mortem handling or a staged scene.
Related terms
- Complete Hanging
- Hanging in which the body hangs freely with no supporting surface contact. The entire body weight acts through the ligature on the...
- Hyoid Bone Fracture
- Fracture of the U-shaped floating hyoid bone at the tongue base; uncommon in hanging (under 10%), more common in strangulation, especially in...
- Incomplete Hanging
- Hanging in which part of the body (feet, knees, buttocks) remains in contact with a surface. Biomechanically equivalent to complete hanging because...
- Ligature Groove (Hanging)
- The pressure mark left by a ligature on the neck in hanging: pale, parchment-like, oblique, ascending, open at the nape of the...
- NAME
- National Association of Medical Examiners (US); the professional body that publishes standards for medico-legal autopsy, manner-of-death certification, and forensic pathology training.
- Salivary Drool Track
- A dried streak of saliva running from the corner of the mouth downward and toward the suspension point, seen in hanging and...
- Tardieu Spots
- Minute petechial haemorrhages on the surface of visceral organs, pleura, and conjunctivae, produced by venous obstruction and raised intrathoracic pressure in asphyxia....