Medico-Legal Update
  • Year: 2016
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue: 2

Fractures of Hyoid Bone and Thyroid Cartilage in Hanging-an Autopsy Study

1Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad, Maharastra

2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Parul Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Vadodara, Gujarat

3Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Govt Medical College, Vadodara

Online published on 8 July, 2016.

Abstract

Fractures of hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage are one of important findings in deaths due to hanging.

The present study was carried out to know the incidence of fractures of hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage in hanging.

A cross sectional study of a total of 101 cases of hanging was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, S.S.G. Hospital mortuary, attached to Government Medical College, Baroda over a period of 12 months from October 2013 to September 2014.

In our study, common age group affected were between 21–30 years (33.75%) followed by 31–40 yrs (28.75%). Hyoid bone was fractured in 3 cases (2.97%) and thyroid cartilage was fractured in 8 cases (7.92%).

All the cases of fracture of hyoid bone (2.97%) in deaths due to hanging were male. Thyroid cartilage fracture was more common compared to Hyoid bone fractures in case of hanging.

Keywords

Hanging, fracture, hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage, autopsy