title: Analysis of metallic medical devices after cremation: The importance in identification.
abstract: The recovery of a charred cadaver raises many issues concerning personal identification; the presence of prosthetic materials may provide very important and decisive information. Who is involved in the recovery of a charred body or of burnt human fragments, should therefore be able to recognize medical devices even if modified by fire effects. Metallic residues (585kg) that came from 2785 cremations were studied. Medical devices were then divided by type and material in order to esteem the representativeness of each typology. The study illustrates the great presence of metal medical devices that could be of great help in identifying bodies and underlines that metallic medical devices types and morphology should be known by forensic practitioner involved in identification cases and that this kind of material can still be identified by physician and dentists, even if exposed to very high temperatures.
authors.affiliation: LabAnOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: danilo.deangelis@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.affiliation: LabAnOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collini
authors.affiliation: LabAnOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muccino
authors.affiliation: LabAnOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cappella
authors.affiliation: LabAnOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sguazza
authors.affiliation: LabAnOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzucchi
authors.affiliation: LabAnOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
mesh_terms: D055700:Cremation; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013537:Sutures
chemical_list: D008670:Metals
keywords: Charred remains; Forensic anthropology; Identification; Medical devices; Odontology; Prosthesis