Development of a postmortem diagnostic imaging system for neck compression

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K12591
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Usui Akihito 東北大学, 医学系研究科, 講師 (90588394)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 死後画像診断

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied postmortem computed tomography (CT) in cases in which the cause of death was neck compression by hanging as determined by forensic autopsy. We examined which parts of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage were prone to fracture because of the presence of many grooves at the level of the neck, and which types of fractures could be identified by postmortem CT.
As a result, the funicular groove was often located in the midline of the neck, more cephalad than the laryngeal prominence of the thyroid cartilage. As a result, the superior angle of the thyroid cartilage was deformed anteriorly by several millimeters in diameter, resulting in a fracture. In order to reveal such a fracture, it was found that an imaging method such as neck flexion was necessary.

Free Research Field

法放射線

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

臨床（通常の病院診療）では、それほど関心の高くない骨格である舌骨・甲状軟骨、および縊頸といった、さらに臨床では、ほぼお目に掛かることのない遺体について、索溝の位置や甲状軟骨上角の骨折といった、死後CTで注目すべきキーポイントを少なからず明らかにできた。解剖医不足を補完する死後CTの需要は、今後高まることが予想されているが、これにより、臨床で撮影を行っているような、死後CTの経験の少ない従事者にも、撮影・読影の要訣を示すことができたと考えている。