Abstract
Rib fractures are recognized as strong indicators of nonaccidental injury in infants and children and are more prevalent than any other type of skeletal injury in cases classified as child abuse [1–13]. They remain strong indicators of nonaccidental injury in older children (>18 months) when other types of fractures become more prevalent with accidental injury [1]. Several researchers have found that the average number of rib fractures is significantly higher in cases of nonaccidental injury than in those of accidental injury and that rib fractures often are the only skeletal injury observed in cases classified as child abuse [1, 2].
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Love, J.C., Derrick, S.M., Wiersema, J.M. (2011). Rib Fractures. In: Skeletal Atlas of Child Abuse. Springer’s Forensic Laboratory Science Series. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-216-8_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-216-8_3
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