Peri-mortem
Definition
At or around the time of death, when bone retains sufficient collagen to fracture in a ductile, green-bone manner. The precise biological window varies by preservation conditions but is operationally defined by fracture morphology rather than an elapsed time.
Related terms
- Green-bone fracture
- A fracture in bone that still has organic content: characterised by spiral or helical lines, smooth curved edges, and often some elastic...
- Periosteal reaction
- New bone formation on the outer cortex in response to infection, trauma, or inflammation during life. When present around a fracture site,...
- Post-mortem
- After death, once the organic matrix has significantly degraded. Post-mortem fractures show dry-bone morphology: transverse, angular, and without spiral curvature.
- Root etching
- Channels and furrows on bone cortex produced by plant root acids and microbial activity concentrated along the root-bone contact zone. A major...
- Soil loading
- Fracture of bone by the compressive weight and shifting of overlying sediment over time. Produces fractures at structurally weak points, often with...
Explained in
- Peri-mortem vs. Post-mortem AlterationAt or around the time of death, when bone retains sufficient collagen to fracture in a ductile, green-bone manner. The precise biological window varies by pres...