Вісник проблем біології і медицини (Dec 2020)

FORENSIC MEDICAL EXPERT ASSESSMENT OF THE SEVERITY OF BODILY INJURIES IN VICTIMS WITH OUTCOME OF THE LOWER LIMBS FRACTURES

  • Sokol V. K.,
  • Tonkoy D. V.,
  • Kozhushko I. A.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.29254/2077-4214-2020-4-158-379-384
Journal volume & issue
no. 4
pp. 379 – 384

Abstract

Read online

The aim is to carry out a comparative analysis of the severity of bodily injuries in victims with fractures of the femur and tibia in the immediate post-traumatic period and in the outcome of trauma based on a retrospective study of acts of primary and commissioned forensic medical examinations. Object and research methods. The injury outcome was assessed in victims with 49 fractures of the femur and 112 fractures of the tibia, presented in 185 reports of commissioned forensic medical examinations for the period February-June 2018. Results of the work. Open fractures of the femur and tibia are classified as serious injuries regardless of the outcome of the injury. All closed fractures of the femoral shaft (40; 24.8%), as well as 70 (43.5%) fractures of the shaft and 7 (4.4%) intraarticular fractures of the tibia, were attributed to moderate bodily injuries. According to the trauma outcomes, 2 (1.3%) closed diaphyseal fractures of the tibia (development of chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis, unresolved bone shortening and deformity) were reclassified as severe bodily injuries. All 5 (3.1%) intraarticular fractures of the femur and 10 (6.3%) – the tibia, treated conservatively, were re-qualified as severe bodily injuries as a result of a non-fused subcapital femoral fracture (1; 0.6%), post-traumatic arthrosis of the hip (1; 0.6%), knee (11; 6.8%) and ankle (2; 1.2%) joints with persistent contractures, pronounced limitation of the function of the joint and the act of walking. The field of application is forensic medicine, traumatology and orthopaedics. Conclusions. Conservative treatment of displaced intra-articular fractures of the lower extremities is a significant risk factor for an unfavorable outcome of injury and aggravating the severity of injuries. The lack of unification of open fractures of the femur and tibia in the provided medical documentation according to generally accepted classifications did not allow assessing the outcomes of the studied open fractures.

Keywords