Incidence and medicolegal importance of autopsy study of fracture of neck structure in hanging and strangulation

Present study of incidence of fractures of neck structures in hanging and strangulation cases were done in the department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Govt. Medical College, Amritsar w.e.f. 1-3-2001 to 31-1-03 during which period total number of 1983 cases were brought for postmortem examination and out of which 45 (2.26%) cases of Hanging & Strangulation were studied. In this paper various aspects have been discussed in relation to the presence or absence of fractures of bony structure of neck in hanging and strangulation cases.