ABSTRACT
Trauma is a pathological category defined as injury caused to living tissue by an outside force. Outside forces include a variety of objects normally associated with violent deaths, such as bludgeons (e.g., clubs), projectiles (e.g., bullets), and cutting (e.g., knives) or chopping (e.g., axes) instruments. However, any hard surface can cause trauma, including the ground (during a fall) or large moving objects such as cars, trucks, and trains, as well as bulkheads during an aircraft accident. Another source of trauma is any chemical (e.g., acids) that may have a deleterious effect on the human body. Finally, extremes of heat (usually caused by fire) or cold can damage living tissue. Although these forces affect all tissues, forensic anthropologists are interested mainly in how they affect bone.
