Perimortem Fracture
Definition
A fracture produced at or near the time of death while the bone retains green (fleshed) properties; distinguished by sharp fracture margins with colour matching the bone interior, and characteristic fracture-surface morphology.
- Timing
- At or near death, while bone is green
- Margin appearance
- Sharp fracture edges
- Colour
- Matches the surrounding bone interior
- Field
- Skeletal blunt-force trauma analysis
Common questions
How does colour help date a fracture as perimortem rather than postmortem?+
A fracture surface that is the same colour as the interior of the intact bone suggests it broke while still fresh, whereas an older, weathered break exposed to soil or sun for a long time often develops staining that differs from the surrounding bone.
What fracture-surface features besides colour indicate a perimortem break?+
Smooth, curving fracture planes, hinging where the bone bent before separating, and a sharp rather than crumbly edge all point to green bone breaking under load near the time of death.
Can a perimortem fracture occur without any external violence?+
Yes, falls, vehicle collisions, or resuscitation attempts can all produce perimortem fractures without an assailant, which is why fracture timing alone does not establish manner of death.
Related terms
- Bearing Surface
- The area of the striking implement that was in contact with the skull at the moment of force transfer; its geometry can...
- Concentric Fracture
- An arc-shaped fracture encircling the impact zone, produced by outer-table bending tension at a distance from the focal impact; always post-dates the...
- Depressed Fracture
- A fracture where the impacted skull segment is driven inward beyond the elastic limit; the geometry of the depression reflects the bearing...
- Diffuse Loading
- Force distributed over a broad contact area (as from a fall onto a flat surface or a broad-surface blow); produces a broader...
- Focal Loading
- Force concentrated on a small contact area of the skull surface (as from a hammerhead, poker, or stone edge); produces a discrete...
- Hering's Principle
- The 1853 observation that a radiating fracture from a subsequent impact is arrested when it reaches a fracture line produced by a...
- Radiating Fracture
- A linear fracture extending outward from the impact point, initiated by inner-table tension as the outer table is compressed; propagates until arrested...
- Wedge Fracture
- The three-dimensional fracture geometry described by Berryman and Symes (1998): a conical inner-table failure zone wider than the outer-table defect, produced by...
- Wolff's Law
- The principle that bone is deposited and resorbed in response to mechanical loading history. Cortical thickness and trabecular orientation follow principal stress...