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Actinic (Senile) Purpura and Its Imposters

Often in assault or abuse cases, the victim is elderly. When evaluating these cases, it is prudent to retain a medical expert to review the discovery and determine if the injuries are consistent with contusions from trauma or are senile purpura. Contusions (bruises) can have a similar appearance to purpura, but contusions occur because of Read More...

Pathological Fractures in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

What is a pathological fracture? Spinal cord injuries cause life-altering paralysis of the limbs and place the patient at risk for long term complications, including pathological fractures.  A pathological fracture is a broken bone that is caused by disease, rather than injury. After a person suffers a spinal cord injury, they have immediate bone loss Read More...

The Characteristics of Bruises

What Affects the Appearance of a Bruise? Bruising is one of the most common types of physical injury observed in victims of violence, assault, and abuse. There are several factors that affect a bruise’s appearance, such as: Tissue type Loose connective tissue type sites, such as the eye, face, and genitalia show more bruising. Fat Read More...

Physical Abuse or Easy Bruising?

PHYSICAL SIGNS OF ABUSE When searching “physical signs of abuse,” many journals and websites list the following physical characteristics: Bruises Cuts Burns Restraint or grip markings Black eyes Unusual pattern of injury Repeated trips to the Emergency Department ….with “bruises” often listed first since most are caused by physical injury. However, there are underlying conditions Read More...

Visualization of Old Bruises in Children

Ultraviolet Radiation and Forensics In forensics, ultraviolet radiation is used to enhance injuries of the skin. It has been reported that ultraviolet radiation can help visualize an old bruise and can also estimate the shape of the object that caused the bruise. For example, where bruising was faint, old and difficult to recognize, ultraviolet radiation Read More...