the data collection procedures for forensic skeletal material 2.0 or dcp 2.0

the data collection procedures for forensic skeletal material 2.0 or dcp 2.0 contains a number of changes

relative to earlier editions so we encourage the user to please read the preface carefully for a list of these changes

we also encourage the user to please read the definitions the manual has illustrations of some

measurements but not all but it's very important to read the definition carefully before taking the measurement

the first measurement is maximum cranial length or glabella occipital length

so it's easiest to rest the skull on its base and then to take the spreading calipers

and apply one end to glabella and then along the mid-sagittal plane to

apply the other end of the caliper to the occipital region and to move the caliper around

staying within the midsagittal plane until you find the maximum measurement

okay for nasio-occipital length you're going to place the skull like you placed it when you were taking glabellar

occipital length and you're just going to measure from nasion anteriorly to

the point in the occipital region that gives you the maximum length in the

midsagittal plane we'll use the spreading calipers and remember that nasion is going to be

on the frontal bone so you'll put the caliper on nasion one end then you'll move the other end

along the occipital region staying in the midsagittal plane until

you obtain the maximum

length

to measure maximum cranial breath you can put the skull you can rest the skull on its base

you can also take this measurement with the skull resting on the occiput i'm going to rest the skull on the base

i'm going to demonstrate this from this direction and then i'll turn sideways you're going

to use the spreading calipers to take this measurement

and what you want to do is to take the calipers and place the end points and you can start off on the parietal bone now the orientation of the calipers is pretty important here

you want to make sure that the v shape the tip the angle of the caliper

is staying in the mid-sagittal plane so i like to line it up with the sagittal suture

the end points should be within the same coronal plane they should be lined up in this manner so the end point shouldn't be

off kilter in one way or the other okay so you want them in the same coronal plane

then line the calipers up here in the same sagittal plane and now you're ready to start obtaining the maximum measurement

and in order to do that you're going to take the calipers and you're just going to move them in a circular motion

and while you're doing that you're going to look at the slide and note where you obtain the maximum

measurement at what location this may be on the parietal bone if that's the case just steer clear of

the temporal lines the inferior temporal lines you may also find the measurement on the temporal

bone and if this is the case you just want to steer clear of the super mastoid

crest or the super medal crest as you're obtaining that measurement so i'll demonstrate it from the side so

you can see the areas where i'm trying to avoid so here if it's on the parietal

bone okay you just want to be mindful of the temporal line so you don't want to be up there okay so you're just going to move the

caliper in circles in this manner on this particular skull it's actually wider on the temporal

i'm so i'm moving around the temporal now but i want to avoid the area here which puts me on the supra

mastoid or super medal crest okay so you want to stay off of that and obtain the measurement

just on the temporal bone in that manner