title: Complete decapitation of a motorcycle driver due to a roadblock chain.
abstract: An 18-year-old male driving an off-road motorcycle died from complete decapitation when his motorcycle tore a roadblock chain from its attachment. The decapitation injuries of the head and the torso corresponded perfectly, without apparent loss of tissue. The severance plane passed horizontally through the upper cervical region and C4, which sustained a comminuted fracture. The sharply delineated severance edge had a band-like abrasion. The decapitation resulted from the rotational movement of the unstrung chain, which struck and strangled the driver's neck. We were able to explain the movement of the chain and the decapitation mechanism. This case emphasizes the importance of discussing dynamics with experts to clarify a causal mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0215, Japan. makino@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ihama
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuke
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niki
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maehira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001703:Biophysics; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D049248:Decapitation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009049:Motorcycles; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology
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