Description
The specimen shows the two halves of a femur of a child. The shaft of the femur appears intact,
but the greater part of the link is surrounded by an encapsulated, calcified, old haematoma.
History
This child was found dead; the child showed recent bruising of the face, a fracture of the
skull in the left parietal area with 17 ml. of partly clotted blood in the left subdural space; the child
showed fractures of the 5th, 6th, 7th ribs on the left close to the sternum, and a bronchopneumonia.
Radiological examination of the body showed the changes described above in both femurs. The
Radiologist commented that there were changes in the ribs suggestive of scurvy; the histological
appearances of the astochondral junctions were in keeping with this, and it is believed that the
sub-periosteal haematomas described above were secondary to scurvy. No unequivocal history of
violence was demonstrated.