Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35378600›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of legal medicine2022

A guide to classify tattoo motives in Mexico as a tool to identify unknown bodies.

F Holz, G G Carrillo-Núñez, E G Martinez Peña, A A Rivera Martinez, I G de la Peña Jiménez, Ramon Bonilla Virgen, M A Verhoff, Christoph G Birngruber

Erratum issuedOpen access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of legal medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
14.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

F HolzDepartment of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Kennedyallee 104, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany.
G G Carrillo-NúñezDepartamento de Morfología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
E G Martinez PeñaComité de Alteraciones en el Desarrollo Sexual, Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Fray Antonio Alcalde", Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
A A Rivera MartinezInstituto Jalisciense de Ciencias Forenses, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
I G de la Peña JiménezInstituto Jalisciense de Ciencias Forenses, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Ramon Bonilla VirgenServicio de Cirugía Medicina Legal, Antiguo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
M A VerhoffDepartment of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Kennedyallee 104, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany.
Christoph G BirngruberDepartment of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Kennedyallee 104, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany. birngruber@med.uni-frankfurt.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1057-0624
Goethe University Frankfurt · DEInstituto Jalisciense de Cancerología · MXAltera (United States) · USHospital Civil de Guadalajara · MXUniversidad de Guadalajara · MX

Funding

Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst 57594060
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

justificationIn Mexico, the number of unidentified bodies has been steadily rising for years. By now, more than 50,000 bodies are considered unidentified. Forensic laboratories that could perform comparative molecular genetic investigation are often overburdened and examinations can take months. Therefore, pragmatic approaches that can help to identify more unknown bodies must be sought. The increased use of distinctive physical features might be one, and the high rate of tattooed people in Mexico points towards a great potential of tattoos as a tool for identification. The prerequisite for a comparison of antemortem (missing persons) and postmortem (unknown bodies) data is an objective description of the particularities, e.g., of the tattoos. The aim of this study was to establish an objective classification for tattoo motives, taking into consideration local preferences.

methodsIn the database of the medicolegal services of the Instituto Jaliscience de Ciencias Forenses (IJCF) in Guadalajara, postmortem data of 1000 tattooed bodies from 2019 were evaluated. According to sex and age, the tattooed body localization and the tattoo motives were categorized.

resultsThe 1000 tattooed deceased showed tattoos on 2342 body localizations. The motives were grouped and linked to the following 11 keywords (with decreasing frequency): letters/numbers, human, symbol (other), plant, symbol (religious), animal, object, fantasy/demon/comic, tribal/ornament/geometry, other, unrecognizable.

conclusionUsing the proposed classification, tattoo motives can be described objectively and classified in a practical way. If used for antemortem (missing persons) and postmortem (unknown bodies) documentation, motives can be searched and compared efficiently-helping to identify unknown bodies.

Indexed as

TattooingAutopsyForensic MedicineHumansMexicoMotivationBody modificationClassificationDVIIdentificationIdentifierTattoo

Identifiers

PMID35378600
PMCPMC9170629
OpenAlexW4224253644

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.