Changes in the position of the abdominal organs of a corpse between postmortem computed tomography performed in the supine and sitting positions—A feasibility study

Abstract Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) is an established technique that complements and guides conventional autopsies. Clinical computed tomography (CT) and postmortem CT (PMCT) are usually performed in a supine position. Car crashes, gunshot and stabbing incidents concerning forensic questions occur in different body positions and during movement. Whether and to what extent the anatomic topography of a corpse shifts due to supine positioning in postmortem CT is poorly understood. The positioning of anatomic structures between a standing or a sitting person and supine PMCT is especially important for the assessment of forensic and biomechanical questions. To investigate this effect, a male corpse of average height and weight was positioned on a radiolucent seat constructed from polystyrene panels. Afterwards, the corpse and the seat were positioned in a flat panel computed tomography used for industrial purposes. The generated data were compared with the dataset of the PMCT of this corpse performed in a (usual) supine position. Comparing the craniocaudal length from T1 to different organs, the largest increase (2.9 cm in distance) was found for the liver by scanning the corpse in a sitting position compared to the supine PMCT. Additionally, when the distance to the right kidney was measured, a clear increase in the measured distance of 2.4 cm was observed and smaller changes were observed on the organs of the left side of the body (0.3 cm when measuring to the left kidney). In this first comparison between a PMCT performed with the corpse in sitting and supine positions with the aim of detecting organ displacement, it was shown that there are clear displacements with an emphasis on the right organ side.