Dr. Ronald Wright | University of Miami School of Medicine (original) (raw)
Papers by Dr. Ronald Wright
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Jul 1, 1985
Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indi... more Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indicator of age at death. Using a sample of white males, it was shown that an accurate estimation of age can be made by direct examination of the bone itself. However, because of sexual differences in hormonal production and dimorphism in the skeleton, the present study was carried out to develop an appropriate standard for age determination from the sternal rib in white females. The sample consisted of 86 ribs of known age, sex, and race. Observations were made at the costochondral junction with special attention to pit formation (its shape and depth), changes in the walls and rim surrounding it, and overall bone density and texture. Based on changes in these areas, the ribs were separated into nine phases (0 through 8). The most rapid metamorphosis occurred in Phases 1 through 4 (mean ages 14-28) with changes noticeable at 3 to 4 year intervals. After mean age 28, this process slowed, considerably expanding the interval between phases to 10 to 15 years. The female ribs showed both earlier initial pit formation and a different morphologic pattern of aging as compared with males. Statistical analysis revealed that the features chosen to delineate the phases are valid predictors of age. This study has shown that the sternal rib can provide an accurate estimation of age in females spanning a mean age of 14 to 76 years.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Mar 1, 1999
Science and law approach problems and arrive at solutions in completely different ways. Law arriv... more Science and law approach problems and arrive at solutions in completely different ways. Law arrives at conclusions by taking established principles and applying them to new facts, a deductive process. Science arrives at conclusions by observing facts, creating hypotheses and testing them, an inductive process. Law relies upon precedence and procedure. Science is innovative and iconoclastic.
The medico-legal guidelines and recommendations published by the Faculty are for general informat... more The medico-legal guidelines and recommendations published by the Faculty are for general information only. Appropriate specific advice should be sought from your medical defence organisation or professional association. The Faculty has one or more senior representatives of the MDOs on its Board, but for the avoidance of doubt, endorsement of the medico-legal guidelines or recommendations published by the Faculty has not been sought from any of the medical defence organisations. Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Oct 1, 1977
Patients who die from severe head injuries constitute a major reservoir of potential kidney donor... more Patients who die from severe head injuries constitute a major reservoir of potential kidney donors, for such injuries usually occur in otherwise healthy individuals. Death from injury mandates a medical examiner's investigation, and jurisdiction over the body occurs at the moment of pronouncement of death. In Florida, when any person dies of criminal violence, by accident, by suicide, suddenly when in apparent good health, when unattended by a practicing physician or other recognized practitioner, in any prison or penal institution, in police custody, in any suspicious or unusual circumstances, by criminal abortion, by poison, by disease constituting a threat to public health, by disease, injury, or toxic agent from employment; or when a dead body is brought into the state without proper medical certification; or when a body is to be cremated, dissected, or buried at sea, the medical examiner shall determine the cause of death and shall make or have performed such examinations, investigations, and autopsies as he shall deem necessary [1]. It is the duty of any person who becomes aware of such a death under the circumstances described above to report such death and circumstances immediately to the medical examiner [2].
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Oct 1, 1984
Comprehensive Psychiatry, Sep 1, 1972
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Oct 1, 1984
Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indi... more Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indicator of age at death. Using a sample of white males, it was shown that an accurate estimation of age can be made by direct examination of the bone itself. However, because of sexual differences in hormonal production and dimorphism in the skeleton, the present study was carried out to develop an appropriate standard for age determination from the sternal rib in white females. The sample consisted of 86 ribs of known age, sex, and race. Observations were made at the costochondral junction with special attention to pit formation (its shape and depth), changes in the walls and rim surrounding it, and overall bone density and texture. Based on changes in these areas, the ribs were separated into nine phases (0 through 8). The most rapid metamorphosis occurred in Phases 1 through 4 (mean ages 14-28) with changes noticeable at 3 to 4 year intervals. After mean age 28, this process slowed, considerably expanding the interval between phases to 10 to 15 years. The female ribs showed both earlier initial pit formation and a different morphologic pattern of aging as compared with males. Statistical analysis revealed that the features chosen to delineate the phases are valid predictors of age. This study has shown that the sternal rib can provide an accurate estimation of age in females spanning a mean age of 14 to 76 years.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Sep 1, 1992
A 24-year-old man with no previous medical history was admitted to a local hospital with pancytop... more A 24-year-old man with no previous medical history was admitted to a local hospital with pancytopenia after a recent "viral illness." During his hospitalization, he developed sudden abdominal distension and hypotension. Surgical exploration of his abdomen revealed a ruptured spleen. The spleen was removed, but the patient did not survive the operation. We investigated this unexpected and unexplained hospital death for any traumatic or iatrogenic injury. The cause of death after review of the clinical history, autopsy, and microscopic sections was virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS). VAHS consists of a generalized histiocytic proliferation and marked hemophagocytosis associated with a systemic viral infection. Clinically it presents as pancytopenia and organomegaly. This recently described entity is often confused with malignant histiocytosis. This is the first case report of VAHS producing nontraumatic splenic rupture, thus adding to the differential diagnosis of spontaneous splenic rupture and sudden natural death.
American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Mar 1, 1991
We present an accidental autoerotic asphyxiation of a 24-year-old man. Further investigation reve... more We present an accidental autoerotic asphyxiation of a 24-year-old man. Further investigation revealed that 18 years earlier, his brother, then 13, had been found dead, hanging in the family bathroom. Although that death had been ruled a suicide, reevaluation of the death scene indicates that this was also an autoerotic asphyxiation. This is the first reported case of sexual asphyxia involving siblings.
Review of Public Personnel Administration, 2000
A growing body of research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of human resource manageme... more A growing body of research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of human resource management systems, yet few efforts have been made to develop a set of criteria and a method for evaluating human resource management systems in the public sector As part of the Government Performance Project, the present study offers a framework and methodology to fill this gap The Government Performance Project worked with a panel of experts to identify relevant criteria to evaluate pubhc sector human resource systems and to construct a survey instrument aligned with the identified criteria After discussing the criteria and survey construction, the article introduces a method of evaluating human resource management systems, fuzzy logic, that models expert judgments and takes into account measurement imprecision
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 1978
Photographic documentation of wounds and disease processes is a well-established supplemental met... more Photographic documentation of wounds and disease processes is a well-established supplemental method of recording pathological findings both within the hospital and the forensic environment. The first recorded use of a photograph in a homicide trial was in 1874, when an antemortem photograph was used for the purpose of body identification [1].
American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Mar 1, 1980
Advertisement. Close Window. Close Window. Thank you for choosing to subscribe to the eTOC for Th... more Advertisement. Close Window. Close Window. Thank you for choosing to subscribe to the eTOC for The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. Enter your Email address: Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for ...
Human Pathology, Mar 1, 1980
CRC Press eBooks, Dec 13, 1996
Proceedings: American Association for Automotive Medicine Annual Conference, 1974
Efforts to reduce the carnage on our highways have included those directed at lessening vehicle o... more Efforts to reduce the carnage on our highways have included those directed at lessening vehicle occupant impact forces and at making the automobile a less "hostile environment". We present four cases in which impact forces were survivable, and indeed were survived, but wherein subsequent asphyxia was the mechanism of death. These death represent 4% of all motor vehicle occupant deaths during the study period of one year. The criteria for the diagnosis and the implications for the injury and death reduction effort are discussed.
We present four cases of motor vehicle death by postural asphyxia. These deaths represent 4% of a... more We present four cases of motor vehicle death by postural asphyxia. These deaths represent 4% of all motor vehicle occupant deaths during the study period of one year. The criteria for the diagnosis and the implications for the injury and death reduction effort are discussed.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Mar 1, 1999
A large series of gunshot wounds is analyzed to determine, first, whether the wounds were describ... more A large series of gunshot wounds is analyzed to determine, first, whether the wounds were described with enough detail to estimate the distance and direction of fire; and second, to utilize the autopsy description to determine accuracy. All of the University of Miami-Jackson Medical Center (UM-JMC) records coded as gunshot wounds and treated during calendar year 1995 were included in this study. The analysis is of 566 shootings from bullets in which 1259 wounds were described in the hospital records. Of the 1259 bullet wounds, the size and/or shape was described in only 63 (5%) and only four wounds (0.3%) had any indication of distance of fire. The location of the wound could be determined to within 3 cm in 655 (52%) and only 39 (3%) of the wounds were measured from some landmark. Directionality was neither indicated nor determinable in 897 (71%) of the wounds examined. Fifty-five (9%) cases resulted in death and were compared with medical examiner autopsies. Clinical information was inadequate for comparison in three (6%) of these cases. In 22 cases that were said to have one wound, only 14 (64%) of these were correctly documented. Of 16 cases with 2 wounds, 9 (56%) were correctly identified by the clinicians. When greater than 2 wounds were present (14), the clinicians were wrong 93% of the time. This study demonstrates that clinicians responsible for treating gunshot-wounded persons do not adequately document or interpret these wounds.
A series of auto driver and passenger fatalities is reported in which each of the deceased was us... more A series of auto driver and passenger fatalities is reported in which each of the deceased was using a voluntary belt restraint system ("lap belts" or "3-point belts") at the moment of the fatal crash. A reconstruction of each lethal episode, based upon vehicle examination, police reports and autopsy data, leads to the following conclusions: with rare exceptions, deaths occurred in spite of and not because of belt use; 2-point lap belts do not consistently prevent fatal injury in high speed crashes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, a comparison of fatality incidence in belted vs. non-belted victims yields a significant degree of nonrepresentation of belt users in the total crash fatality population.
Journal of Forensic Research, Nov 22, 2017
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Jul 1, 1985
Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indi... more Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indicator of age at death. Using a sample of white males, it was shown that an accurate estimation of age can be made by direct examination of the bone itself. However, because of sexual differences in hormonal production and dimorphism in the skeleton, the present study was carried out to develop an appropriate standard for age determination from the sternal rib in white females. The sample consisted of 86 ribs of known age, sex, and race. Observations were made at the costochondral junction with special attention to pit formation (its shape and depth), changes in the walls and rim surrounding it, and overall bone density and texture. Based on changes in these areas, the ribs were separated into nine phases (0 through 8). The most rapid metamorphosis occurred in Phases 1 through 4 (mean ages 14-28) with changes noticeable at 3 to 4 year intervals. After mean age 28, this process slowed, considerably expanding the interval between phases to 10 to 15 years. The female ribs showed both earlier initial pit formation and a different morphologic pattern of aging as compared with males. Statistical analysis revealed that the features chosen to delineate the phases are valid predictors of age. This study has shown that the sternal rib can provide an accurate estimation of age in females spanning a mean age of 14 to 76 years.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Mar 1, 1999
Science and law approach problems and arrive at solutions in completely different ways. Law arriv... more Science and law approach problems and arrive at solutions in completely different ways. Law arrives at conclusions by taking established principles and applying them to new facts, a deductive process. Science arrives at conclusions by observing facts, creating hypotheses and testing them, an inductive process. Law relies upon precedence and procedure. Science is innovative and iconoclastic.
The medico-legal guidelines and recommendations published by the Faculty are for general informat... more The medico-legal guidelines and recommendations published by the Faculty are for general information only. Appropriate specific advice should be sought from your medical defence organisation or professional association. The Faculty has one or more senior representatives of the MDOs on its Board, but for the avoidance of doubt, endorsement of the medico-legal guidelines or recommendations published by the Faculty has not been sought from any of the medical defence organisations. Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Oct 1, 1977
Patients who die from severe head injuries constitute a major reservoir of potential kidney donor... more Patients who die from severe head injuries constitute a major reservoir of potential kidney donors, for such injuries usually occur in otherwise healthy individuals. Death from injury mandates a medical examiner's investigation, and jurisdiction over the body occurs at the moment of pronouncement of death. In Florida, when any person dies of criminal violence, by accident, by suicide, suddenly when in apparent good health, when unattended by a practicing physician or other recognized practitioner, in any prison or penal institution, in police custody, in any suspicious or unusual circumstances, by criminal abortion, by poison, by disease constituting a threat to public health, by disease, injury, or toxic agent from employment; or when a dead body is brought into the state without proper medical certification; or when a body is to be cremated, dissected, or buried at sea, the medical examiner shall determine the cause of death and shall make or have performed such examinations, investigations, and autopsies as he shall deem necessary [1]. It is the duty of any person who becomes aware of such a death under the circumstances described above to report such death and circumstances immediately to the medical examiner [2].
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Oct 1, 1984
Comprehensive Psychiatry, Sep 1, 1972
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Oct 1, 1984
Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indi... more Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indicator of age at death. Using a sample of white males, it was shown that an accurate estimation of age can be made by direct examination of the bone itself. However, because of sexual differences in hormonal production and dimorphism in the skeleton, the present study was carried out to develop an appropriate standard for age determination from the sternal rib in white females. The sample consisted of 86 ribs of known age, sex, and race. Observations were made at the costochondral junction with special attention to pit formation (its shape and depth), changes in the walls and rim surrounding it, and overall bone density and texture. Based on changes in these areas, the ribs were separated into nine phases (0 through 8). The most rapid metamorphosis occurred in Phases 1 through 4 (mean ages 14-28) with changes noticeable at 3 to 4 year intervals. After mean age 28, this process slowed, considerably expanding the interval between phases to 10 to 15 years. The female ribs showed both earlier initial pit formation and a different morphologic pattern of aging as compared with males. Statistical analysis revealed that the features chosen to delineate the phases are valid predictors of age. This study has shown that the sternal rib can provide an accurate estimation of age in females spanning a mean age of 14 to 76 years.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Sep 1, 1992
A 24-year-old man with no previous medical history was admitted to a local hospital with pancytop... more A 24-year-old man with no previous medical history was admitted to a local hospital with pancytopenia after a recent "viral illness." During his hospitalization, he developed sudden abdominal distension and hypotension. Surgical exploration of his abdomen revealed a ruptured spleen. The spleen was removed, but the patient did not survive the operation. We investigated this unexpected and unexplained hospital death for any traumatic or iatrogenic injury. The cause of death after review of the clinical history, autopsy, and microscopic sections was virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS). VAHS consists of a generalized histiocytic proliferation and marked hemophagocytosis associated with a systemic viral infection. Clinically it presents as pancytopenia and organomegaly. This recently described entity is often confused with malignant histiocytosis. This is the first case report of VAHS producing nontraumatic splenic rupture, thus adding to the differential diagnosis of spontaneous splenic rupture and sudden natural death.
American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Mar 1, 1991
We present an accidental autoerotic asphyxiation of a 24-year-old man. Further investigation reve... more We present an accidental autoerotic asphyxiation of a 24-year-old man. Further investigation revealed that 18 years earlier, his brother, then 13, had been found dead, hanging in the family bathroom. Although that death had been ruled a suicide, reevaluation of the death scene indicates that this was also an autoerotic asphyxiation. This is the first reported case of sexual asphyxia involving siblings.
Review of Public Personnel Administration, 2000
A growing body of research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of human resource manageme... more A growing body of research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of human resource management systems, yet few efforts have been made to develop a set of criteria and a method for evaluating human resource management systems in the public sector As part of the Government Performance Project, the present study offers a framework and methodology to fill this gap The Government Performance Project worked with a panel of experts to identify relevant criteria to evaluate pubhc sector human resource systems and to construct a survey instrument aligned with the identified criteria After discussing the criteria and survey construction, the article introduces a method of evaluating human resource management systems, fuzzy logic, that models expert judgments and takes into account measurement imprecision
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 1978
Photographic documentation of wounds and disease processes is a well-established supplemental met... more Photographic documentation of wounds and disease processes is a well-established supplemental method of recording pathological findings both within the hospital and the forensic environment. The first recorded use of a photograph in a homicide trial was in 1874, when an antemortem photograph was used for the purpose of body identification [1].
American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Mar 1, 1980
Advertisement. Close Window. Close Window. Thank you for choosing to subscribe to the eTOC for Th... more Advertisement. Close Window. Close Window. Thank you for choosing to subscribe to the eTOC for The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. Enter your Email address: Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for ...
Human Pathology, Mar 1, 1980
CRC Press eBooks, Dec 13, 1996
Proceedings: American Association for Automotive Medicine Annual Conference, 1974
Efforts to reduce the carnage on our highways have included those directed at lessening vehicle o... more Efforts to reduce the carnage on our highways have included those directed at lessening vehicle occupant impact forces and at making the automobile a less "hostile environment". We present four cases in which impact forces were survivable, and indeed were survived, but wherein subsequent asphyxia was the mechanism of death. These death represent 4% of all motor vehicle occupant deaths during the study period of one year. The criteria for the diagnosis and the implications for the injury and death reduction effort are discussed.
We present four cases of motor vehicle death by postural asphyxia. These deaths represent 4% of a... more We present four cases of motor vehicle death by postural asphyxia. These deaths represent 4% of all motor vehicle occupant deaths during the study period of one year. The criteria for the diagnosis and the implications for the injury and death reduction effort are discussed.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Mar 1, 1999
A large series of gunshot wounds is analyzed to determine, first, whether the wounds were describ... more A large series of gunshot wounds is analyzed to determine, first, whether the wounds were described with enough detail to estimate the distance and direction of fire; and second, to utilize the autopsy description to determine accuracy. All of the University of Miami-Jackson Medical Center (UM-JMC) records coded as gunshot wounds and treated during calendar year 1995 were included in this study. The analysis is of 566 shootings from bullets in which 1259 wounds were described in the hospital records. Of the 1259 bullet wounds, the size and/or shape was described in only 63 (5%) and only four wounds (0.3%) had any indication of distance of fire. The location of the wound could be determined to within 3 cm in 655 (52%) and only 39 (3%) of the wounds were measured from some landmark. Directionality was neither indicated nor determinable in 897 (71%) of the wounds examined. Fifty-five (9%) cases resulted in death and were compared with medical examiner autopsies. Clinical information was inadequate for comparison in three (6%) of these cases. In 22 cases that were said to have one wound, only 14 (64%) of these were correctly documented. Of 16 cases with 2 wounds, 9 (56%) were correctly identified by the clinicians. When greater than 2 wounds were present (14), the clinicians were wrong 93% of the time. This study demonstrates that clinicians responsible for treating gunshot-wounded persons do not adequately document or interpret these wounds.
A series of auto driver and passenger fatalities is reported in which each of the deceased was us... more A series of auto driver and passenger fatalities is reported in which each of the deceased was using a voluntary belt restraint system ("lap belts" or "3-point belts") at the moment of the fatal crash. A reconstruction of each lethal episode, based upon vehicle examination, police reports and autopsy data, leads to the following conclusions: with rare exceptions, deaths occurred in spite of and not because of belt use; 2-point lap belts do not consistently prevent fatal injury in high speed crashes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, a comparison of fatality incidence in belted vs. non-belted victims yields a significant degree of nonrepresentation of belt users in the total crash fatality population.
Journal of Forensic Research, Nov 22, 2017