This chapter reviews the many uses of radiology within the medicolegal realm.
Forensic scientists frequently rely on imaging techniques to interpret findings and radiology’s importance to forensic medicine is widely acknowledged. Radiology is crucially important to the medicolegal investigation of death and as such, the radiologist is often relied on to interpret radiological studies in forensic consultations. Radiological studies can help pinpoint the location of foreign bodies within the body, such as bullets, and can help with the documentation of fractures and other mechanical injuries. There is an increasing demand for noninvasive techniques to circumvent traditional autopsy procedures; virtual autopsies involving full-body tomography and magnetic resonance imaging has been proposed to help obtain two-dimensional and three-dimensional documentation when a traditional autopsy cannot be performed. Antemortem and postmortem radiographic comparison is described as effective in the identification of unknown human remains and is a technique used throughout the world. Radiography is also useful to swiftly establishing identity following mass disasters. Finally, the importance of efficient record keeping and secure radiograph storage for medicolegal purposes is underscored. Figures, references