The Application Of CT Imaging In Forensic Identification Of Rib Fractures

Objective: To evaluate the features of CT images of rib facture in different time windows.Methods: The conventional CT features of 50 patients of rib facture were analyzed retrospectively. Conventional CT scanning was performed in all 50 patients in hours, 2 weeks, 4-8 and 8-12 weeks after fracture.Results: A few hours after the rib bone fracture: discontinuous, broken ends were separated, adjacent intercostal muscle swelling, increased density, pleural effusion, pulmonary atelectasis, pulmonary parenchyma spring shadows; fracture within 2 weeks: the broken end of each other near the local cortical bone fracture, no bone sclerosis, broken gap still exists between the end the amount of pleural effusion, were worse than before, lung tissue was not a fracture; 4-8 weeks: the broken ends of fracture bone sclerosis, a strip of high density, pleural effusion absorbed in the lung parenchyma, little fiber fracture lesions; 8-12 weeks: the lesion morphology of ribs not neat, like a little bone sclerosis and a short break, at the end of the gap disappeared, chest lung tissue, no abnormal density.Conclusion: To summerize the CT features of rib facture in different time windows and compared with pathological healing process are helpful to forensic identification.