Soft tissue decomposition

Within 12 months, soft-tissue decomposition had a marked effect on the degradation of associated textiles, as cadaver decomposition products... 

Holland, A. D. (2000). An investigation into the effect of soft tissue decomposition on short-term degradation of associated textiles, using pig cadavers as an analogue for human remains. Unpublished M.Sc. Dissertation, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK. 

The processes of livor, rigor, and algor mortis can be useful indicators of a recently deceased person, but the processes may have expired by the time a body is placed in a shallow or deep grave site. Once these changes have passed, soft-tissue decomposition proceeds through the processes of autolysis and putrefaction (Fiedler and Craw 2003). In a burial environment, it is these processes that are likely to result in the disintegration of soft tissue and skeletonization. 

Tooth enamel represents one of the most resistant skeletal tissues to post-depositional decay in a burial environment (Duric, Rakocevic, and Tuller 2004), and, as a result, teeth are often the only identifying feature of a skeleton to remain. As decomposition proceeds, the loss of soft tissue around the mandible allows the exposed teeth to become dislodged from their original anatomical position. Postmortem tooth loss has been described as a possible indicator of PMI and appears to be dependent on age, periodontal health, seasonality, and location of the body placement (McKeown and Bennett 1995). Cadavers that are deposited in the summer months will undergo a more rapid process of soft-tissue decomposition and thus lose teeth more rapidly than bodies that decompose in the autumn or winter months. Similarly, a cadaver exposed to direct sunlight, or even deposited in a shaded area, will decompose and lose teeth more rapidly than a cadaver that has been buried. The... 

More recently, the effect of postmortem interval, excavation methods, and root morphology on the rate of postmortem tooth loss has been investigated from both an archaeological and forensic context (Duric et al. 2004). In both contexts, postmortem tooth loss was shown to be a result of soft-tissue decomposition and therefore directly influenced by the postmortem interval. Additionally, the differences in root morphology were determined to be a significant factor related to postmortem tooth loss. However, an expected correlation between postmortem tooth loss and the excavation methods of the burial environment was not identified. Both of these studies represent preliminary research, and further controlled research is required to establish the value of postmortem tooth loss as a PMI indicator. 

Decomposition is a complex process whereby the soft tissues disintegrate until skeletonization is achieved. The chemical process has been discussed extensively in previous chapters and will not be referred to here. The relationship of taphonomy to decomposition and the determination of postmortem interval is best summarized using the model proposed by Micozzi (1991) (Table 9.1). 

Because it was thought to accelerate the decomposition of soft tissue, quicklime has historically been used in the burial of diseased animals and humans. For example, bodies of plague victims in London in 1666 were directed to be buried in quicklime. 

Fig. 5.4. a An 140-kVp image b 80-kVp image acquired simultaneously. c Map of the iodine content semi-quantified by three-material decomposition of fat, soft tissue and iodine. Note that the system only works in soft tissue organs, d Virtual... 

Fig. 5.5. a Color-coded lung perfusion as a result of three-material decomposition of air, soft tissue and iodine. Note the perfusion defect caused by the embolus in the segmental vessel. b In another patient with chronic recurrent pulmonary... 

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