The effect of maceration on the dental arches and the transverse cranial dimensions: a study on the pig

The dimensional change of the dental arches and the transverse cranial dimensions were studied in the pig to gain information on cranial post mortem changes and thus improve the possibilities of comparison between modern and skeletal samples. Dental arch dimensions were registered in 17 pigs within 30 minutes after they had been killed. The following day, the skulls were registered on lateral and axial radiographs. The animals were prepared, and storage and preparation included freezing and treatment in hot water. The water temperature did not exceed 65 degrees C. After this process, the skulls were again registered on lateral and axial radiographs. The skulls were then allowed to dry for 2 weeks and the direct measurements were repeated. The dimensions showed shrinkage of between 0 and 3.3 per cent. The mandible showed a greater change transversally in the posterior region than the cranium, which may have been due to its shape. The more deviant values for dimensional change were probably due to technical errors and the shrinkage may be expected to vary from 0.3 to 1.7 per cent, with greater values occurring in the posterior transverse parts of the mandible. A differential shrinkage in the maxilla could not be excluded and the values varied between 0.3 and 1.9 per cent. The results indicate that the crania in skeletal samples can be expected to be 0.3-1.7 per cent smaller than in vivo.