This animation may only be used in support of a single legal proceeding and for no other purpose. Read our License Agreement for details. To license this image for other purposes, click here.
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: The skin contains three main layers: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, or subcutaneous. Burns are tissue injuries caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, radiation, extreme cold, or friction that disrupt the skin's framework and function. Superficial burns affect the epidermis only, causing erythema, or redness, and pain. Partial thickness burns are either superficial or deep. Superficial partial-thickness burns involve the epidermis and the upper, or papillary, dermis, causing immediate blistering and intense pain and sensitivity. Deep partial-thickness burns destroy the papillary dermis, epidermis, and most of the lower, or reticular, dermis, sparing some cutaneous nerve endings, capillaries, and dermal appendages. Full-thickness burns destroy the entire epidermis, dermis, and portions of the hypodermis. The burned area is white, brown, dry, and charred, has no sensation, and cannot heal without surgical intervention. Burns can also be evaluated by determining the percentage of body surface area they cover. This percentage can be estimated quickly using the rule of nines, a formula in which each body part is assigned a value of 9% or a multiple of nine. Severe burns involving a large surface area increase capillary permeability and lead to two stages of shock. In hypovolemic shock, water, electrolytes, and plasma proteins leak from the bloodstream into interstitial spaces creating widespread edema. In burn shock, the lowered intravascular volume increases blood viscosity and vascular resistance. To compensate, the heart rate speeds up. As a result, organs and tissues do not receive adequate blood supply, resulting in tissue and organ death from a lack of oxygen. Burn treatment aims to restore fluid balance through administration of intravenous fluids, electrolytes, and proteins, which increases intravascular volume. Wound care reduces complications by preventing infection and promoting healing of damaged tissues. Analgesics control the pain and inflammation of superficial burns. Superficial partial-thickness burns are cleansed, covered with a sterile dressing, and monitored regularly for infection. In deep partial-thickness burns, dead skin, or eschar is routinely detached or debrided to a healthy level. The wound bed is kept clean and moist to allow epithelial regeneration and to accept transplanted tissue called a skin graft. Full-thickness burns are excised and regularly debrided to prevent ischemia and infection, and to create a viable base for grafting. ♪ [music] ♪
"For modern audiences, it is absolutely essential to use medical
demonstrative evidence to convey the severity and extent of physical
injuries to a jury. Your company's high quality illustrations of our
client's discectomy surgery, combined with strong expert testimony, allowed
the jury to fully appreciate the significance of our client's injuries.
We are very pleased with a verdict exceeding $297,000.00, far in excess of
the $20,000.00 initially offered by the defendant. The medical demonstrative
evidence provided by Medical Legal Art was an asset we could not have
afforded to have been without."
Todd J. Kenyon
Attorney at Law
Minneapolis, MN
"It is my experience that it's much more effective to show a jury what
happened than simply to tell a jury what happened. In this day and age where
people are used to getting information visually, through television and
other visual media, I would be at a disadvantage using only words.
I teach a Litigation Process class at the University of Baltimore Law Schooland use [Medical Legal Art's] animation in my class. Students always saythat they never really understood what happened to [to my client] until theysaw the animation.
Animations are powerful communication tools that should be used wheneverpossible to persuade juries."
Andrew G. Slutkin Snyder Slutkin & Kopec Baltimore, MD
"For us, the defining feature of effective demonstrative evidence is
whether, by itself, the piece will tell the story of the case. Medical legal
Art provides our firm with illustrations and animations that are clear and
persuasive. Their exhibits tell the story in a way that allows the jury to
understand a very complex subject, very quickly."
James D. Horwitz Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, P.C. Bridgeport, CT
"Medical illustrations are essential during trial for any medical malpractice case. The people at MLA have the uncanny ability of creating medical illustrations that simplify the most complex of medical concepts and human anatomy to a lay audience. The exhibits of MLA allow experts to easily describe complex concepts and human anatomy in a manner that could
not be done otherwise.
In addition, their custom illustrations show in great detail the extent of
injuries suffered and the devastating effects they have had on the client's
anatomy. These custom illustration can show, side by side, the body before
and after a catastrophic injury. The effect of this juxtaposition is
unmatched by any testimony that can be adduced at the time of trial.
Even jurors after trial have commented on the ease with which they grasp
medical concepts and anatomy once the MLA exhibits were introduced and
used by my experts. Even judges who have "seen it all" are thoroughly
impressed by the detail and sophistication of the illustrations.
Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.