impatientredhead
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
- Messages
- 6,475
- Reaction score
- 35
BBM
I wonder if the missing hyoid was broken or fractured? To bad they couldnt find it as that could show cause of death.![]()
In a toddler, even an adolescent, the hyoid is not ossified yet. In a child Caylee's age it would have still been similar to cartilage. That is why it wasn't found and it wouldn't have shown a fracture or cause of death if they had. They needed soft tissue to determine cause of death.
Fracture and Applied Anatomy
Due to its position, the hyoid bone is not susceptible to easy fracture. In a suspected case of murder, a fractured hyoid strongly indicates throttling or strangulation. However this is not the case in children and adolescents where hyoid bone is still flexible as ossification is yet to be completed