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A novel conservative technique to allow oral opening and overcome rigor mortis during medicolegal autopsy

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Abstract

This study presents a novel conservative technique to increase oral opening and overcome rigor mortis during medicolegal autopsy (MLA). The method proposes a myotomy of the temporalis and masseter muscles, taking advantage of the incisions of the cranial opening procedures, to achieve a significant oral opening (≥ 30 mm) in fresh cadavers with established rigor mortis without altering facial aesthetics. The study was performed on 48 individuals aged between 18 and 66 years (20 males and 28 females) who were autopsied at the Instituto Nacional de Patología Forense Dr. Sergio Sarita Valdez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic). The proposed technique not only allowed the oral access to all autopsied cadavers but also complied with current ethical standards for preserving facial aesthetics, taking into account the concerns of family members by allowing respectful viewing of the cadaver. This advancement not only contributes to the efficiency of oral autopsies but also influences public perception of forensic procedures and highlights the importance of ethical and aesthetic considerations in the context of MLAs. The proposed technique represents a significant step towards more respectful and ethical forensic practices, and offers practical advantages for a more complete and accurate assessment during MLA.

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Funding

This work was supported (in part) by the Dirección de Investigación, Universidad de La Frontera [PP23-0042].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Magíster en Odontología, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

    Javiera Riquelme-Navarrete, Pablo Navarro & Gabriel M. Fonseca

  2. Centro de Investigación en Odontología Legal y Forense (CIO), Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

    Javiera Riquelme-Navarrete & Gabriel M. Fonseca

  3. Instituto Nacional de Patología Forense Dr. Sergio Sarita Valdez, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Lourdes Gómez

  4. Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Biomédicas de Córdoba (IUCBC), Córdoba, Argentina

    María Candelaria Sánchez

  5. Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, Chile

    Pablo Navarro

  6. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Odontológicas (CICO), Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

    Pablo Navarro

Authors
  1. Javiera Riquelme-Navarrete
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  2. Lourdes Gómez
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  3. María Candelaria Sánchez
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  4. Pablo Navarro
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  5. Gabriel M. Fonseca
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriel M. Fonseca.

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Ethics approval and consent to participate

The protocol used was considered part of the medicolegal procedures, for which the Instituto Nacional de Patología Forense Dr. Sergio Sarita Valdez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) provided the necessary authorizations.

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Not applicable.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Riquelme-Navarrete, J., Gómez, L., Sánchez, M.C. et al. A novel conservative technique to allow oral opening and overcome rigor mortis during medicolegal autopsy. Forensic Sci Med Pathol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-024-00816-5

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