Evaluation of Bone’s Response to Force: Fracture Type, Fracture Location, and Fracture Severity Across the Female Lifespan

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Delelio, Danielle Marie

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2022

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Trauma analysis and interpretation is a key component for forensic anthropologists and pathologists during any analysis of remains. Though studies have identified a positive relationship between increased age and higher risk of fracture, the field of anthropology is lacking a deeper understanding of how bone responds to force based on application of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The current study evaluated the change in fracture type, location, and severity in women, exploring how endogenous hormones may impact bone’s response to force. Data were collected from the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office and the Reno Orthopedic Clinic and included a sample of 263 women between the ages of 20 and 80 years. The analyses were separated by menopausal state (assumed by chronological age), by age decades, and by institution. The relationship between increased age and fracture location on bone was found to be statistically significant, indicating fracture location shifts with age. Additionally, fracture completeness is positively related to an increase in age. This research can be used to aid anthropologists in the future to facilitate a deeper understanding of trauma and how variation in intrinsic factors impact how bone responds to force.

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