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Forensic Clinical Anatomy—Definitions, Methods and Fields

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Abstract

Forensic Clinical Anatomy may be defined as the practical application of Clinical Anatomy to the ascertainment and evaluation of medico-legal problems. Individual Anatomy (normal anatomy, anatomical variations, age-, disease- or surgery-related modifications) may acquire relevant significance in various fields of Legal Medicine, such as Child Abuse, Sudden Death, Medical Responsibility and/or Liability, Personal Injury and Damage. Anatomical data of forensic interest may arise from the correct application of methods of ascertainment and anatomical methodologies may then be required for further comprehensive analysis. The rigorous interpretation of the anatomical data, derived from ascertainment phase and analysed on the basis of pertinent literature, may be pivotal for the correct application of evaluation criteria in various forensic contexts. Awareness of the relevance of Individual Anatomy should be one of the principles guiding the Clinician to Personalized Medicine; conversely, in Personalized Justice, medico-legal analyses cannot ignore the implications of individual anatomy in terms of ascertainment and evaluation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy

    Andrea Porzionato, Veronica Macchi & Raffaele De Caro

  2. Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George’s University, True Blue, 3500 Sunrise Highway, Building 300, Great River, West Indies, NY, 11739, Grenada

    Marios Loukas

Authors
  1. Andrea Porzionato
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  2. Veronica Macchi
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  3. Marios Loukas
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  4. Raffaele De Caro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Porzionato .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Santo Davide Ferrara

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Porzionato, A., Macchi, V., Loukas, M., De Caro, R. (2017). Forensic Clinical Anatomy—Definitions, Methods and Fields. In: Ferrara, S. (eds) P5 Medicine and Justice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67092-8_24

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