Study of Incidence of Hyoid Bone Fractures in Cases of Death due to Hanging, Strangulation and Throttling

Violent asphyxial deaths are among the most confounding of all entities that commonly confront a Forensic expert. A major portion of all unnatural deaths resulting from asphyxia are due to fatal neck compression. In the present study a total of 113 cases comprising of 107 cases of hanging, 4 cases of strangulation and 2 cases of throttling brought to the mortuary of the GGH, Gulbarga between the years September 2007 and August 2012 was taken up, to compare the incidence of hyoid bone fractures with reference to the age and sex of the victim, ligature material used, the type and the site of fracture.

Increased incidence of hyoid bone fracture was noted in the later half of 3^rd decade of life. The hyoid bone was fractured when the saree or wire (each 50%) used as a ligature material. In 3/4^th cases of hyoid bone fracture, the ligature mark was oblique, single turn, above the level of thyroid cartilage and the width was more than 4 cms. Incidence of hyoid bone fracture was 2.8% in hanging, 25% in strangulation by ligature and 50% in throttling. The most common fracture of the hyoid bone was at the junction of anterior 2/3^rd and posterior 1/3^rd of the greater horn. The displacement of the fracture fragment in cases of throttling was inward, outward in cases of ligature strangulation whereas both inward and outward in cases of hanging. Hyoid bone fracture was found not to be influenced by nature and extent of ligature material, ossification status of the hyoid bone and age of the victim.