A KDU-Led Research Make an Astonishing Discovery on the Possible Use of Bone Histopathology for Explosive-Related Death Investigations

A recent collaborative empirical research work led by KDU has made an astonishing discovery on the possibility of using bone histopathology for blast-related death investigations. The International Journal of Legal Medicine reports that forensic histopathology has been used on soft tissue samples to define blast-related injuries and analyse human organs such as the lungs, brain, liver, and skeletal muscles, providing essential and valuable forensic pathology interpretations. However, no studies have been conducted to examine the post-blast histological changes in human or animal bones subjected to blasts for forensic pathology practice, despite the opportunity that hard tissue bone samples present, given their significantly lower decomposition rate over soft tissue.
The empirical study`s results present the first evidence-based findings on the post-blast histological changes in three animal bones when exposed to close-range chemical detonation (High explosives/ C4) and highlight the possible future use of bone histopathology for blast-related human death investigations.
The research was funded by CDRD and led by Lt Col (Dr) Bandula Nishshanka, RSP USP psc of the Institute for Combinatorial Advanced Research & Education of KDU (KDU-CARE). Dr Iranthi Kumarasinghe of the KDU`s Faculty of Medicine, Professor P Paranitharan of the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Dr Chris Shepherd of the University of Kent, United Kingdom, Dr Samindi Jayawickrama of NSBM Green University, Dr Damith Mohotti of the University of New South Wales, Australia and Major Randika Ariyarathna of CDRD also collaborated for the study.
Further research is underway to understand the applicability of the findings to human bones. According to Dr Nishshanka, expanding the observations made in the study to examine post-blast histology of human bones could enable forensic investigators to predict if a body has been exposed to an explosive blast or even the range of a blast victim from the explosive source. Bone histopathology can be effectively employed mainly in cases where alterations due to human and environmental factors have damaged the victim’s body or war and/or terrorist activity has led to affected bodies being abandoned without apparent clues of the cause of death or when skeletons have been found, given the persistence of bones over soft tissues.