Injuries caused by Blunt objects. Falling from Height Lecture 4 Associative-professor of Forensic medicine course Valentin Franchuk
Definition of Blunt object The object which can stretch, squeeze, tear and deform a human tissue, resulting in definite injuries (scratches,bruises, abrasions, lacerations, fractures etc.) is termed as blunt.
Some kinds of Blunt objects
Forensic classification of blunt objects - objects with flat prevalent surface - objects with flat limited surface - objects with spherical surface - objects with cylindrical surface - objects with dihedral corner - objects with trihedral corner
Different blunt objects
Different blunt object
Some kinds of Blunt objects Dihedral corner Trihedral corner
Abrasion It is a superficial injury of outer layer of the skin caused due to sliding of the blunt object against the skin
An imprint of blunt object in abrasion (patterned abrasion)
Healing of abrasion
Kind of violence
Forensic significance of abrasions This is the sign of violence It suggests the action of blunt object It suggests the site of external impact Identification of object Kind of violence Time of injury
Bruise A bruise is an infiltration of the blood into the tissues following the rupture of vessels as result of application of blunt force
An incision across the bruise
Color changes of bruise
Forensic significance of bruises This is the sign of violence It suggests the action of blunt object It suggests the site of external impact Identification of object Kind of violence Time of injury Degree of violence
Lacerations These are wounds in which the skin and underlying tissues are torn as a result of blunt forces application
Typical signs of the lacerations Different shapes and sizes Edges are ragged irregular Margins are commonly abraded Abraded margins can correspond to impacting surface External bleeding is mild
Some lacerations on the face
A typical laceration of the head
A wound caused by blunt object with cylindrical surface
Some ruptures of the liver as result of falling from height
Bone fractures
Fracture of the scull due to the action of limited surface
Falling of pedestrian
Some kinds of sharp objects
Incisions
Punctured wounds