The ability to effectively remove soft tissue from the skeleton without compromising surface morphology or overall bone integrity is essential to an in-depth and comprehensive analysis by a forensic anthropologist. There is no agreement among forensic anthropologists as to the best method for defleshing skeletal remains. The choice of the most appropriate method for defleshing the remains and exposing the unique characteristics of the individual must be made with consideration of the forensic context of the remains. The use of undiluted bleach as a means of defleshing corpses is particularly controversial in the forensic literature. Specifically, when bleach is introduced into forensically significant skeletal material, the potential for cortical exfoliation due to the corrosive nature of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) poses a significant threat to the integrity of the outer cortex of the bone. Bleach cleans and whitens bones, which may be appropriate for museum display; in the forensic context, it is an undesirable product of the process. No single method is a panacea for all situations. Maceration is an invaluable procedure in a forensic setting, although not all maceration techniques are applicable to forensic cases. Anthropological assessment of the usability of the technique often involves the duration and ease of the process, the quality and color of the resulting bone, and the relative odor (1). Removal of soft tissue can reveal subtle nuances of trauma that might otherwise be obscured or masked by the presence of flesh (2). Maceration techniques have been shown to reduce the potential for DNA extraction after maceration (1). As explained by Mann and Berryman (2), bleach attacks and oxidizes protein bonds in bone, effectively...... middle of paper ...... treatment of benign bone tumors of the hand. Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European volume). 1999;24(1):109-12.4. Laird DF, Mucalo MR, Dias GJ. Vacuum-assisted infiltration of chitosan or polycaprolactone as structural reinforcement for sintered cancellous bovine bone graft. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, Part A. 2012;100(10):2581-92.5. Sauer N, Simson L. Clarifying the role of forensic anthropologists in death investigations. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 1984;29(4):1081.6. Reichs KJ, bass WM. Forensic osteology: advances in the identification of human remains: Charles C. Thomas Springfield, IL, 1998.7. Bonte W. Tool marks in bones and cartilage. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 1975;20(2):315.8. Alison Galloway PhD D, Zephro L. Analysis of lower limb skeletal trauma. Forensic medicine of the lower limbs: Springer; 2005;253-77.