The different modalities in Radiology which may be applied in the forensic investigations are:
X-Ray: A basic technique which can be used for locating and retrieving foreign bodies like firearms bullets, broken glass pieces, knife in cases of stab wounds, bone age estimation, identification of person through superimposition technique.
Fluoroscopy: It has a place of use for detection of stents, medical instruments, gauze pieces and other foreign bodies in cases of medical negligence.
Nuclear Medicine Scan: Can detect radioactive substances in cases of radioactive poisoning.
CT & MRI: Can be effectively used for detection of fractures, hematoma/internal hemorrhages, extent and dimension of injuries and Virtopsy. In recent years, MDCT (multi-detector computed tomography) has become more popular in forensic work. MRI is superior to CT in detecting sub acute and chronic extra cerebral bleeding &deep cerebral injuries.
Dental Imaging: It is done for identification and age estimation of a person and evaluation of injuries to teeth as well as by teeth.
Angiography and Venography: These type of techniques can be used for identifying cause of death in cases of stroke, heart attack, intraventricular/ intracranial bleeding.
Ultrasound: Can detect haematomas, occult injuries and extent of injuries.