On the possibility of establishing postmortem interval of human by examining the electrical conductivity of the knee joints’ synovial fluid

Khalikov A.A.; Vavilov A.Yu.; Agzamov V.V.; Pozdeev A.R.; Kuznetsov K.O.

doi:https://doi.org/10.17116/sudmed20256804121

Khalikov A.A.

Bashkir State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0003-1045-5677

Vavilov A.Yu.

Izhevsk State Medical Academy

ORCID: 0000-0002-9472-7264

Agzamov V.V.

Bashkir State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0001-9845-2280

Pozdeev A.R.

Izhevsk State Medical Academy

ORCID: 0000-0002-6302-5219

Kuznetsov K.O.

Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination;
Ufa University of Science and Technology

ORCID: 0000-0002-2405-1801

On the possibility of establishing postmortem interval of human by examining the electrical conductivity of the knee joints’ synovial fluid

Authors:

Khalikov A.A., Vavilov A.Yu., Agzamov V.V., Pozdeev A.R., Kuznetsov K.O.

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Journal: Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;68(4): 21‑28

DOI: 10.17116/sudmed20256804121

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To cite this article:

Khalikov AA, Vavilov AYu, Agzamov VV, Pozdeev AR, Kuznetsov KO. On the possibility of establishing postmortem interval of human by examining the electrical conductivity of the knee joints’ synovial fluid. Forensic Medical Expertise. 2025;68(4):21‑28. (In Russ.)
https://doi.org/10.17116/sudmed20256804121

Подписка 2026 Судебно-медицинская экспертиза (Forensic Medical Expertise)

Использование инфографики авторами научных работ

OBJECTIVE

To study the electrical conductivity of the knee joints’ synovial fluid of human’s corpse for assessment of the possibility of its application as criterion of forensic medical diagnosis of postmortem interval.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The work was carried out on practical forensic medical material on the basis of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Expertise in the Republic of Bashkortostan. During the study, 103 corpses of both sexes, different ages who died from various causes were investigated. Synovial fluid of the knee joints from corpses in a state of putrefactive biotransformation of varying degrees of severity was used as the study subject. Measurements of the electrical conductivity value were carried out by conductometry using a calibrated cuvette and AKIP-6109 RLC-meter.

RESULTS

It has been established during the study that low frequencies of electric current of 0.1 and 1 kHz are the most informative for achieving the work objective. Polynomials of the 2nd degree, establishing a relationship between the duration of the postmortem period and the synovial fluid’s electrical conductivity value for each frequency of electric current with significance of approximation more than 0.95% at p<0.01, are developed, thar indicates the significance of the presented mathematical models.

CONCLUSION

It is promising to carry out further research in this direction with obtainment of formulas applicable for the mathematical calculation of the human’s postmortem interval.

Keywords:

electrical conductivity

synovial fluid

knee joints

corpse

biophysical methods of investigation

prescription of death coming

late postmortem period

Authors:

Khalikov A.A.

Bashkir State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0003-1045-5677

Vavilov A.Yu.

Izhevsk State Medical Academy

ORCID: 0000-0002-9472-7264

Agzamov V.V.

Bashkir State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0001-9845-2280

Pozdeev A.R.

Izhevsk State Medical Academy

ORCID: 0000-0002-6302-5219

Kuznetsov K.O.

Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination;
Ufa University of Science and Technology

ORCID: 0000-0002-2405-1801

Received:

16.08.2024

Accepted:

03.09.2024

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References:

https://doi.org/10.17816/fm412 https://doi.org/10.17816/fm412
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