Generation and Validation of Osseous Fracture Patterns by Forensic Analysis

Abstract

This article presents a method for the generation of bone fracture patterns and their automatic validation through the use of forensic analysis. A tool has been designed that allows the generation of a fracture pattern interactively and guided by the system, based on the study of real cases of fractures. This tool assists the specialist in obtaining fracture patterns according to certain rules taken from the statistical analysis of real cases. Additionally, a parametric fracture pattern generator has been developed. This autonomous generator is able to obtain fracture patterns according to forensic case studies. Once a fracture pattern has been generated, by using one of these two methods the system also provides the validation of this pattern based on a forensic analysis, indicating the feasibility of the fracture pattern being valid and explaining the causes of its validity or non-validity. In addition, these tools provide an analysis not only of the probability of a pattern being correct, but also whether it is capable of detecting some limit patterns that could be valid if experts indicate this circumstance. The system is not closed to new cases, it being possible to include new forensic analysis. Both the interactive tool and the automatic generator, have been validated by experts. The automatic generator tool has been checked for feasibility with forensic statistical analysis. Finally, a usability study was carried out to assess the intuitive use of the interactive tool.