Cervical Injuries in Drowning Cases

Abstract

Discovery of bruises in the muscles of the neck and a fracture of the hyoid bone in a body recovered from water makes the diagnosis and the determination of the manner of death difficult.The aims of this work are to report a case of a drowned body with cervical injuries and to highlight the importance of interpreting these findings accurately.A 39-year-old woman was found dead face down in a 6-m deep well with a 3-m water level. She was mentally disturbed and had a history of suicide attempts. In fact, she had previously attempted to jump into that well in an attempt to put an end to her life. The autopsy revealed bruises in the muscles of the neck and a bruise associated with a fracture of the left horn of the hyoid bone.The mechanism for the origin of drowning-related neck injuries will be discussed.

A Rare Isolated Hyoid Bone Fracture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…The hyoid bone is protected by these structures from direct impact [6,7]. Although it does not directly make a joint, the hyoid is a sensitive bone to which the cervical and tongue muscles are attached [2,8]. The hyoid's omnidirectional mobile capacity, between the jaw and cervical spine, contributes to the less likelihood of its fracture [9].…”

“…in Canada for a 13-year-old male taekwondo athlete after experiencing a kick in the anterior neck during a match [3]. Boussaid et al reported a case of hyoid bone fracture found incidentally during an autopsy of a woman who was found dead face down in a six-meter-deep well [2].…”

“…Hyoid bone fractures are uncommon and rarely reported as an isolated entity [1,2]. They account for 0.002% of all head and neck fractures, with 1.15% being the highest incidence.…”