Sharp-Force Trauma

4 categories: - stab wounds - incised wounds - chop wounds - therapeutic wounds

Stab Wounds From single-edged knife (kitchen, pocket, folding); maybe - glass, icepicks, pens, scissors Weapon goes deeper than skin layers – can damage muscles, fat, organs Usually smooth If jagged wound, may be from suicide (hesitation marks) or struggle

Very sharp knife – little force = lots of pressure Penetrating wound = results in punctured organ Perforating wound = punctures organ and comes out other side of organ If strong force, hilt of knife may leave a patterned abrasion

Size and shape of wound affected by angle and depth of entry

Wound examined to determine length and width of weapon and angle of penetration Also, # of times stabbed If scissors, open (cut skin) v. closed (split skin – edges rough) If weapon hit bone, piece may break off in skin

Incised Wounds Cuts by knife, glass, etc. – is longer than is deep; clean edges Force applied parallel to skin No clues about weapon Usually not fatal; stitches Found in suicides, defensive wounds

Chop Wounds Incised wounds on surface and deep internal injuries From heavy tools – axe (crushes bone), machete (obvious, coarse lines), meat cleaver (thin, sharp lines) Can narrow down weapon

Therapeutic Wounds From surgery Can be mistaken for criminal wounds