An exploratory study toward the contribution of 3D surface scanning for association of an injury with its causing instrument

Forensic exploitation of patterned injuries: Promoting structured analysis as an early assessment for comparison process

Practice at our Center shows that approach using 3D surface imaging for morphometric comparison of patterned injuries does not always lead to accurate conclusions. We decided to evaluate whether a selection protocol focused on analysis phase could enable us to form an early assessment of the outcome of a comparison process, and then to select lesions likely to lead to a probative conclusion. 23 blunt objects were used to create 65 patterned injuries on an experimental model simulating human skin. A blinded analysis and a comparison were conducted on photographs and 3D models of the lesions. Statement of analysis phase was consistent with comparison results in most cases, enabling correct identification of the responsible object or at least keeping it as possibly responsible among 2 to 3 objects. Our protocol has been demonstrated to improve ability to exploit patterned injuries from surface imaging, despite certain limiting factors.

A systematic review of 3D scanners and computer assisted analyzes of bite marks: searching for improved analysis methods during the Covid-19 pandemic

The global Covid-19 pandemic has forced forensic dentists to improve infection control methods. This search investigated the practical utilization of different 3D scanners to record and to analyze bite marks in the skin- and inanimate objects with this aim in mind. A systematic review of the literature using keywords like "human bite mark", "bite mark analyzes", "3D analyzes", "3D scanning", "forensic odontology", and "forensic dentistry" was performed in three scientific databases: MEDLINEOvid®, Pubmed® and Google Scholar. The initial search yielded 263 full-text articles, of which 15 were considered eligible and current within the last 10 years. 3D scanners and computer-assisted human bite mark analyzes showed potential advantages and can be effectively used in forensic odontology on skin and inanimate objects. These technologies minimize the number of people being exposed to pathogens, simplify the chain of evidence, facilitate immediate information exchange between the team members and enable the virtual presentation of the expert witnesses in a court of law.