Ligature Mark
Definition
The impression left on the neck by a constricting band. Diagnostic features include level (above or below thyroid), direction (oblique vs horizontal), continuity (broken vs continuous), and whether the underlying skin has parchmentised (dried, brown, leathery).
- Location
- Neck
- Diagnostic features
- Level, direction, continuity, parchmentisation
- Level cue
- Above or below thyroid cartilage
- Direction cue
- Oblique versus horizontal
Common questions
Why do examiners assess both level and direction of a ligature mark together?+
Level and direction each narrow the possible mechanism on their own, but combining them, such as an oblique mark above the thyroid versus a horizontal mark below it, gives a more reliable distinction between hanging and manual ligature strangulation than either feature alone.
What does parchmentisation of the underlying skin tell an examiner?+
A dried, brown, leathery appearance indicates sustained pressure that dehydrated the compressed skin, which supports that the ligature was applied for a period before death or that post-mortem drying occurred at the mark site, aiding interpretation of the mechanism and timing.
Related terms
- Diatom Test
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- 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...
- Paltauf's Spots
- Sub-pleural haemorrhagic patches on the lung surface, produced when the alveolar walls rupture under pressure during forced inhalation of water in drowning....
- Parchmentisation
- Post-mortem drying of pressure-blanched skin under a ligature, producing a dry, brown, leather-like band. Characteristic of hanging where the ligature stays in...
- Petechial Haemorrhages
- Pin-point haemorrhages on the conjunctivae, eyelids, face and behind the ears, caused by venous congestion above the level of obstruction. Prominent in...