Abstract

Introduction: Commonest form of asphyxial death come across during autopsy in the country is Hanging. The present study was carried out to studying the pattern of fracture in hyoid bone and neck cartilage (thyroid cartilage and cricoids) in deaths due to hanging in the Department of Forensic Medicine, M. P. Shah Govt. Medical College, Jamnagar. We found that death due to compression of ligature seen maximum in the age group of 21-30 years (36.9%), males are accounted for 43% as compared to 57% in females. Ligature material used was dupatta in 43.68% of cases. In hanging ligature mark was oblique, above thyroid cartilage, going backward and laterally. In the majority cases, the ligature mark was above the thyroid cartilage (88% cases), followed by at and above the thyroid cartilage (10% cases) and only in 1 case the ligature mark was below the thyroid cartilage. In maximum cases, the position of the knot was present at the occipital region of the neck (49% cases), followed by the left mastoid region (30% cases). In the majority of cases, the ligature mark was prominent and discontinuous. Hyoid fracture was found in only 8.05% cases. There was only 1 case with thyroidcartilage fracture and no case of cricoidcartilage fracture.

• 1.   Aaron R, Joseph A, Abraham S, Muliyil J, George K, Prasad J, et al. Suicides in young people in rural southern india. Lancet. 2004;363(9415):1117–8.
• 2.   National Crime Records Bureau. (available at www.ncrb.nic.in)[2014]
• 3.   David G, Olive B, Keith H, Sue S, Nav K. The epidemiology andprevention of suicide by hanging: a systematic review. Int.J.Epidemiol, 2005;34(2): 433-442.
• 4.   Vijay kumar L. Suicide and its prevention: the urgent need in India. Indian j psychiatry. 2007; 49:81-4.
• 5.   Charoonnate N, Narongchai P, Vongvaivet S. Fractures of hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage in suicidal hanging. J Med Assoc Thai, 2010; 93(10):1211-1216.
• 6.   Naik SK, Patil DY. Fracture of hyoid bone in cases of asphyxia deaths resulting from constricting force round the neck. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine, 2005; 27 (3):149-153.
• 7.   Yadav A, Kumath M, Tellewar S, Lohit Kumar R. Study of fracture of hyoid bone in hanging cases. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine. 2013;35(3):239-241.
• 8.   Ahmad M, Hossain MZ. Hanging as a method of suicide retrospective analysis of postmortem cases. Journal Of Armed Forces Medical College, Bangladesh 2010;6(2):37-39.
• 9.   MeeraTh, Singh MBK. Pattern of neck findings in suicidal hanging study in Manipur. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine. 2011;33(4):352-354.
• 10.   Patel AP, Bansal A, Shah JV, Shah KA. Study of hanging cases at Ahmadabad region. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine. 2012;34(4):342-345.
• 11.   Momin SG, Mangal HM, Kyada HC, Vijapura MT, Bhuva SD. Pattern of ligature mark in cases of compressed neck in Rajkot region. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2012; 34(1):40-43.
• 12.   Sudheer TS, Nagaraja TV. A study of ligature mark in cases of hanging deaths. Int J Pharm Biomed Sci. 2012;3(3):80-84.
• 13.   Sarangi MP. Ligature mark/s in forensic pathologists perspective. J Forensic Med and Toxicology. 1998; 15(1):99- 102.
• 14.   Th. Meera, Singh MB. Pattern of neck findings in suicidal hanging- a study in Manipur. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2011; 33(4):350- 52.
• 15.   Saiyed MZG, Modi KA. Retrospective Study of post-mortem cases of ‘hanging – a method of suicide’. Journal of Medical Sciences, 2013; 2(2): 48-50.
• 16.   Uzun I, Buyuk Y, Gurpinar K. Suicidal hanging: fatalities in istanbul retrospective analysis of 761 autopsy cases. J Forensic Leg Med. 2007;14(7):406-409.
• 17.   Cle´ment R, Guay JP, Sauvageau A. Fracture of the neck structures in suicidal hangings: a retrospective study on contributing variables. Forensic Science International.
• 18.   Green H, James RA, Gilbert JD, Byard RW. Fractures of the hyoid bone and laryngeal cartilages in suicidal hanging. J. Clin. Forensic Med. 2000;7(3):123–126.
• 19.   Joshi R, Chanana A, Rai H. Incidence and medicolegal importance of autopsy study of fracture of neck structures in hanging and strangulation. Medico-Legal Update. 2007; 7(4):105-10.
• 20.   Feigin G. Frequency of neck organ fractures in hanging. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1999; 20(2):128-130.
• 21.   Naik SK, Patil DY. Fracture of hyoid bone in cases of asphyxial deaths resulting from constricting force round the neck. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2005; 27(3):149-53.
• 22.   Knight B, Saukko P. Knight’s forensic pathology, 3rd Ed. Arnold Publishers, London, England. 2004:368–394.
• 23.   Vij K. Textbook of forensic medicine and toxicology, principles and practice. 6th Ed. New Delhi. Elsevier; 2014:115- 117.

Data Sharing Statement

Funding