Supplementary pathway for vitality of wounds and wound age estimation in bruises using the electric impedance spectroscopy technique

Determination of wound vitality and estimation of wound age are central issues in daily forensic practice. The objective of this study was to develop a new and rapid method for determining wound vitality and estimating wound age in bruises using electric impedance spectroscopy. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats (140-170g) were divided into five groups: group 1 (n=8): controls, group 2 (n=8): postmortem bruises, group 3 (n=8): bruises 1h before death, group 4 (n=8): bruises 3h before death, group 5 (n=8): bruises 6h before death. Measurements of the right gluteus maximus muscle were taken at 6, 24, and 48h after the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The results from this study indicate that electric impedance spectroscopy is clearly sensitive enough to differentiate between vital and postmortem wound infliction and to determine the survival time after the infliction of an injury.