Falanga (beating of the soles of the feet) is a common torture method that can be difficult to detect at autopsy when performed without leaving obvious surface marks. The most useful autopsy investigation to document falanga-related injury is:
- A Standard gross autopsy of the plantar skin surface
- B Histological examination of the plantar fascia and deep fatty tissues with step sections ✓
- C MRI of the feet to detect oedema and micro-tears in the plantar fat pad and heel
- D Bone scintigraphy for stress fractures
Correct answer: B. Histological examination of the plantar fascia and deep fatty tissues with step sections
Explanation
Falanga is designed to cause internal haemorrhage in the plantar fat pad without breaking the skin, making gross inspection unreliable. Histological examination with step-sectioning of the plantar tissues reveals haemorrhage, fat necrosis, inflammatory infiltrate, and connective tissue disruption that are otherwise invisible. This is recommended by the Istanbul Protocol for documentation of torture. MRI is valuable in living victims but is generally not a postmortem autopsy technique; histology is the gold standard for postmortem detection.
Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.