Bone maceration

bone, bone maceration, defleshing, bone tagging, bone labeling, bone articulation, soft tissue removal, degreasing of bones, bone bleaching, labeling, bone articulation, Storage of bones, Cold Water Maceration Method, Hot Water Maceration Method, Bug Box Maceration Method, Enzyme Maceration Method, Chemical Maceration Method,

1. BONE MACERATION BY ODERINDE, GBENGA PETER EMA EMEM-OBONG JOSEPH OLATOMIDE OLUWASEGUN DAVIES GADA AISHA MOHZO CHRISTOPHER PETER 25-Nov-17

2. INTRODUCTION The idiom, “there is more than one way to skin a cat,” is typically used in a figurative sense, but it’s in fact also applicable literally such that when one is presented with the task of defleshing a corpse, such as a cat, there are many options available. 25-Nov-17 2

3. Bone maceration is a bone preparation technique that involves the obtaining of clean skeletal bones from a deceased specimen for long term storage for study, forensic investigation and for museums etc ( Mairs et al., 2004 ). It involves soft tissue removal degreasing of bones bone bleaching labeling bone articulation Storage of bones. 25-Nov-17 3

4. HISTORY Natural decomposition is likely the earliest defleshing method used to achieve skeletons for study and collection ( Olry , 1998). Archaeologists studying a cave in Southeast Italy with remains of people who died 7,500 years ago identified the first known case in New Stone Age Europe of people scraping the flesh off of people’s bones after death (Shaw, 2015). 5

5. Fig. 1 Crusader war 1095 – 1291 Fig. 2 Pope Boniface VIII Issued a Papal bull “ Detestande feritatis ” 1299 - 1300 HISTORY

6. In 1543 Vesalius conducted a public dissection of the body of Jakob Karrer von Gebweiler ; notorious felon ( Couse and Connor 2015 ) Fig. 3 Andreas Vesalius (1514 – 1564) 7

7. SOFT TISSUE REMOVAL 25-Nov-17 Fig. 4 Dermestid beetles Fig. 5 Skinning and Defleshing by hand Fig. 6 Natural decomposition 7

8. METHODS OF BONE MACERATION There are a number of ways to remove remaining tissue : Cold Water Maceration Method Hot Water Maceration Method Bug Box Maceration Method Enzyme Maceration Method Chemical Maceration Method ( Leeper , 2015). 25-Nov-17 8

9. 25-Nov-17 9 Cold Water Maceration

10. COLD WATER MACERATION Soak bones in appropriate container in cold water Involves soaking remains in cold water Ammonia or laundry detergent to degrease the bone After all the soaking, let the bones dry thoroughly . Remove bones periodically to pull out flesh Putrid water should be poured off periodically and replaced with fresh water 25-Nov-17 10

11. Fig. 7 Cold water maceration 25-Nov-17 11

12. PRECAUTIONS If the bones are soaked outdoors, try to keep leaves, soot and other debris out of the water. Putrid water poured off should be done through a sieve or wire screen to recover small bones ( e.g. teeth that have loosened and fallen out of the skull). After all the soaking, it should be ensured that the bones dry thoroughly to avoid contamination . 25-Nov-17 12

13. ADVANTAGE The advantage of cold water maceration is that it is easily done and will not damage or shrink small bones. DISADVANTAGE The disadvantage are that it is very smelly, and time consuming. 25-Nov-17 13

14. HOT WATER MACERATION 25-Nov-17 14

15. HOT WATER MACERATION Involves soaking remains in hot water Fleshed out bones are cooked in hot water Larger, bones are gently boiled; smaller, more delicate bones gently simmered to prevent damage. Ammonia or laundry detergent added to degrease the bones Cook for a short time, remove bone and clean off more of the tissue After all the soaking, let the bones dry thoroughly. 25-Nov-17 15

16. Fig. 8 Hot water maceration 25-Nov-17 16

17. PRECAUTION Make sure you tie a string to the bones to facilitate picking it out of the hot water. Avoid cooking bones too long to prevent damage. After all the soaking, it should be ensured that the bones dry thoroughly to avoid contamination. 25-Nov-17 17

18. ADVANTAGES It is a much faster process than cold water maceration. It is a less smelly process DISADVANTAGES It has the potential for causing damage and shrinkage to the bone. It is more difficult to accomplish compared to cold water maceration technique 25-Nov-17 18

19. BUG BOX MACERATION TECHNIQUE 25-Nov-17 19

20. Adult and larvae Dermestes feed on dried flesh After air drying, the bone is placed in a “bug box” After fleshing out a bone, air dry it for at least a day or two. Put open bottle or pan of water in “bug box” to provide humidity When the skeleton is clean, remove from the bug colony. The time to clean a bone depends on the bone size, Dermestid colony size, and the temperature. BUG BOX MACERATION TECHNIQUE 25-Nov-17 20

21. Fig. 9 Bug box maceration 25-Nov-17 21

22. ADVANTAGE The major advantage of the bug box method of cleaning bones are that the bones remain the way they are i.e. usually not damaged . DISADVANTAGE It is smelly, and time consuming 25-Nov-17 22

23. PRECAUTION Avoid leaving bones in the bug box for too long (this can damage the bone) Monitor the progress periodically to prevent infestation by other organisms . If a wooden box is used or constructed, the joints must be tight to prevent beetles from escaping If a completely closed container is used, air holes must be provided. These air holes should be covered with screen. 25-Nov-17 23

24. STEPS IN ENZYME MACERATION Enzymes (protease and lipases) are used to clean bones. T ime required ranges from several hours to few days. Fleshed out bones are placed in water solution containing trypsin or neutrase. At intervals, digested tissue is removed with a hard brush. The bones are then brushed under running water and dried thoroughly under sun. 25-Nov-17 24

25. DEGREASING OF BONES 25-Nov-17 Bones must be degreased because bones contain fat known as marrow in long bones. The best technique to be used for degreasing a particular bone depends on two factors: Availability of space. The type of solvent selected (Hot or cold water) Degreasing agents used include: Ammonia, benzene, acetone, t richloroethylene, d egreasing detergents, enzyme detergents 25

26. STEPS IN DEGREASING OF BONES Drill one or two small holes on opposite ends of the shaft of bones S oak them in any of the solvents containing degreasing agents and c heck bones periodically to ensure proper degreasing The hole should not be too large and ensure not to drill it in a location that will damage any of the specimen’s distinctive features 25-Nov-17 26

27. BONE BLEACHING Bleaching of bones is not compulsory, it involves application of bleaching agents to increase the whiteness of bones. Bleaching can remove small pieces of tissue and other debris from bones with cavities as well as most of the odor. B ones may also be bleached by simply setting them out in the sun. 25-Nov-17 27 Fig. 10 Bone bleaching

28. B leach bones in 3% to 6% solution or Spray with (1%-3%) solution of hydrogen peroxide under a heat lamp. Bleaching is complete when hydrogen peroxide solution stops bubbling. T ime required to bleach varies with the bone type and whiteness desired Bleached bones are rinsed with water and allowed to dry completely. 25-Nov-17 28

29. LABELLING It involves the use of incisions, markings, sign, tags, and numbers to aid easy identification of bones. The catalog number written directly on the bone should not obscure any anatomical details. Bones should be properly identified to ensure bones from either side of the hands and feet are not mixed. 25-Nov-17 29 Fig. 11 Labelling of bone

30. BONE ARTICULATION Bone articulation involves the union or assembling of disarticulated bones before storage or mounting. Bones disarticulated during bone cleaning can be articulated by suturing a wire through bones or using a powerful super glue. 25-Nov-17 30 Fig. 12 Bone articulation

31. BONE STORAGE After preparation, bones are stored in bags, boxes or mounted in Perspex boxes for exhibition in museums or for forensic anthropology. 25-Nov-17 31

32. 25-Nov-17 32 Fig. 13 Facial reconstruction Fig. 14 Genetics Fig. 15 Archaeology APPLICATIONS

33. Bone maceration is a bone preparation technique that involves the obtaining of clean skeletal bones from a deceased specimen . Soft tissue removal Degreasing of bones Bone bleaching Labeling Bone articulation Storage of bones. 25-Nov-17 33 SUMMARY

34. The first step in bone maceration is soft tissue removal either by natural decomposition, use of Dermestid beetles or defleshing by hand. Removal of the remaining tissue is achieved by: 25-Nov-17 34 SOFT TISSUE REMOVAL METHOD COLD WATER MACERATION Involves soaking remains in cold water. HOT WATER MACERATION Involves soaking remains in hot water. BUG BOX MACERATION Involves the use of Adult and larvae Dermestes to feed on flesh. ENZYME MACERATION Enzymes (protease and lipases) are used to clean bones. Table I: Summary

35. REFERENCES Couse, T. and Connor, M. A. (2015). Comparison of Maceration Techniques for Use in Forensic Skeletal Preparations. J Forensic Investigation. 3(1): 6. Gritis, P. and Brunner, S. A. (1990). “A new procedure for dermestid beetle preparation of skeletons from formalin-fixed specimens.” Herp Review 21(1):15-16. Leeper , B. J. (2015). Evaluation of current methods of soft tissue removal from bone. Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Science. University of Pittsburgh. 25-Nov-17 35

36. Mairs , S., Rutty, G. N. and Swift B. (2004). Detergent: an alternative approach to traditional bone cleaning methods for forensic practice. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 25(4):276–284 . Mann R. W. and Berryman H. E . (2012). A method for defleshing human remains using household bleach . Journal of Forensic Sciences 57(2):440–442 25-Nov-17 36

37. THANKS FOR LISTENING 25-Nov-17 37