Applications of Biomechanics Aiding in the Diagnosis of Child Abuse

Injury biomechanics is the field of study focusing on the biomechanical behavior of the human body under injury-producing conditions. One of the unique challenges faced by pediatric emergency medicine clinicians is distinguishing between inflicted and noninflicted injuries in children. Biomechanics is one tool that can aid in determining the compatibility between a child's injury and the reported mechanism of injury. An overview and examples of various biomechanical approaches used to distinguish between inflicted and noninflicted injuries in children are described.