J Punjab Acad Forensic Med Toxicol 2011;11(2)

FORENSIC INTERPRETATION OF INJURIES / WOUNDS FOUND

ON THE HUMAN BODY
MUKESH SHARMA*, B S KHAJJA, SHAINENDRA JHA, G K MATHUR and V N MATHUR
Directorate, State Forensic Science Laboratory, Jaipur - 302 016 (Raj.), India
Abstract
Penetrating injuries of the body are most commonly the result of injury/wounds and are often associated with
a range of potentially life threatening injuries. In every physical assault, no matter it led to death or not, the
attacker had produced/left different types of marks in the victim's body that could be helpful to reconstruct the
crime scene and guide to determine the cause of death. In the present study, we have demonstrated some
examples of injuries/wounds found of the victim's body with illustrative photos. These provide a proper and
useful data for the forensic crime scene investigators.
Keywords: Injuries, types of injuries and digital photography, crime scene reconstruction
INTRODUCTION

falls, traffic accident or domestic violence.

An injury is define as any harm, whatever illegally

Chemical factors include damage to tissue by

caused to any person in body, mind, reputation or

acids, alkalis or poisons as in Fig.1. A wound/

property as per Indian Panel Code (Sec. 44). In

injury to the body occurs when the force applied to

forensic science, the injuries/wounds are produced

the body is greater than the body's ability to

by physical violence, which break of the natural

absorb such force. Injury mechanism refers to the

continuity of any of the tissues of the living body

various forces commonly associated with trauma

[1]. Different types of injuries are summarized in

(i.e., projectile, sharp, blunt, thermal and poly

Fig.1. Trauma is explained as an injury to the body

trauma). Accurate identification of mechanism is

caused by physical, mechanical or chemical fac-

dependent on pattern recognition as well as the

tors, which may result in wounds or possible com-

contributions of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that

plications. The medical purposes, violence refers

dictate the way wounds/injuries [3]. For example,

to either behaviour that result in injury or to the

similarly-shaped striking surfaces produce

injury itself. This violence may result in both psy-

different patterns if they impact at different

chological and physical trauma [2]. In the present

velocities, and typically high-velocity projectiles can

paper, the authors have tried to exemplify the physi-

be slowed in flight by an intermediate target. The

cal character of the injuries/wounds, which have

injuries inflicted by mechanical force are generally

been caused with the help of different instruments/

divided into two categories as blunt and sharp

weapons. In the paper, illustrative photos of differ-

forces. These may be more than one type of skin

ent injuries/wounds are reported for ready use in

injury to the body and they may be localized and

forensic community.

widespread. Sometimes, the absence of external

injury to the skin or genitalia does not exclude the

2. TYPES OF INJURIES/WOUNDS AND THEIR

possibility of serious injury to the internal organs/

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

body parts. We have tried to explain the different

Mechanical factors include the use of weapons or

mechanical injuries as shown in Fig.2.

instruments such as knives, screwdrivers, scissors,

razor blade, galss or guns and injuries results from
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internal organs produced by application of

Injuries

blunt force or broad are of the body. Types

Mech.
Force

Thermal

Chemical

Acids
Blunt
Force

Alkalis

Sharp
Force
Cold

of lacerations are split lacerations (crushing

Others

of the skin between two hard objects),

Injuries due to
Lightning, Electricity,
Radioactive substances

stretch lacerations (overstretching of skin),

avulsion, tears etc.

Heat

Fig. 1: Injuries due to physical violence

ii)

Mech.
Force

Blunt
Force

cutting or stabbing the skin with sharp

Sharp
Force

Contusions
/Bruise

Lacerations

Incised
/Cut

instruments/weapons such as kniv es,

Firearms

swords, tins, broken glass bottles, razor

Entry wound

Fractures/
Dislocations

Abrasions

Sharp Force Injury: these are caused by

Exit wound

blade and tools (screw driver etc.). There

are three types of sharp force injuries

Stab / Penetrating
/puncture

explain as under
Fig. 2: Mechanical injuries are classified with

a)

specifications
i)

superficial injury in which the size of the

Blunt Force Injury: On the body due to blunt

injuries on the surface is larger than the

forces or instruments, these injures are on

depth of the injuries generally made of

skin and scratches, grazing, bruising are

razor blade, axe and swords.

observed. These injuries are sub-categories

b)

as;
a)

Incised/cuts Injury: This type of wound is a

Stab/Penetrating/Puncture Injury: This type

of injury is produced from the penetration of

Abrasions: In this type of injuries the skin in

pointed / sharp instruments/ weapons on to

which the outer layer of the skin is scarped

the depth of the body that is deeper than its

of f . Examples of the abrasions are

length, generally knives, broken glass

scratches, grazing of the skin caused by

bottles and tools. The stab injuries may be

dragging, imprint caused by belt/hunter/

single or multiple.

sticks.
b)

Contusions/Bruises: This type of injuries

iii)

occurs when blood vessels in the skin or

without difficulty. The injuries produced by

internal organ are ruptured. A bruise heals

fire arms vary depending on the projectile,

by destruction and remov al of the

the muzzle velocity, distance, angle of firing

extravasated blood. The colour change is

and part of the body involved [4]. These

very variable, starts at the periphery and

wound are subdivided as, when a bullet,

extends inwards to the center. At first its col

passing through a body, produces a wound

our is red, after few hours to 3 days it

a the point of entrance on the skin known

converted in to blue on 4th days is changes

as entry wound and another at the point of

into bluish-black. W hen bruising is

exit of the bullet known as exit wound. The

extensive and deeply situated the colour

dif f erences

takes longer time to appear externally.

c)

Firearms Injury: They are usually recognized

between

both

wound

characteristics are given in Table 1, which is

Lacerations: Lacerations are tears or splits

very useful for the forensic community while

of skin, mucous membranes, muscle or

examination at the spot of firearm used.

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Table 1: Difference in Physical characteristics of

entry and exit wound of bullet
S.
No.
1.

Physical Properties
Size

Bigger than the bullet

2.
3.
4.

Edges of the skin

Bruising/Abrasion
Burning of the skin

Everted or Torn
Absent
Absent

5.
6.

3.

Entry Wound

Smaller than the diameter of

the bullet
Inverted
Present
May be observed around the
wound
Lead ring or metal May be seen while radiological
ring
examination
Bleeding
Less

Exit Wound

Absent
More

ILLUSTRATIONS OF INJURIES WITH

PHOTOS:
Split laceration

Abrasions

Stretch laceration
Illustration 1: Blunt Force Injury

Bruise
Cut/Incised injury

Contusion

Single stab/penetrating injury

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Multiple stab/penetrating injury

Illustration 2: Sharp Force Injury

Entry wound behind the ear at LHS

Exit wound behind near ear at RHS in the
same case.
Illustration 3: Firearm Injury
From illustrations 1 to 3, all the different type of
injuries/wound and their typical edges can be
explained easily. From Illustration 1, blunt forces
occur whenever one makes contact with a hard
dull object in a way that hurts. Abrasions are
injuries that result in the removal of the superficial
layers of skin.
Now it is clearly be seen that stab wounds usually
are deeper than they are wide. They are also more
Entry wound

likely to be distorted by the victim's twisting and

turning to fend off an attacker. Incised or cut
wounds are caused when a sharp instrument is
drawn across the skin as illustrated in Illustration
2. Unlike stab wounds they have no characteristic
width or depth and thus reveal little of the nature of
the weapon. These wounds are rarely fatal but
when they are usually are suicidal or homicidal.
Suicidal wounds typically are found on the victim's
wrists and rarely on the neck. Suicidal incised
wounds frequently are accompanied by hesitation
marks.
In Illustration 3, the character of a wound produced
by a gunshot depends upon several factors includ108

J Punjab Acad Forensic Med Toxicol 2011;11(2)

ing the distance between the victim and the muzzle of the gun.
Whether the bullet remains within the victim or
passes completely through exiting the body (a
through and through gunshot wound) as shown in
Illustration 3, the medical jurist can estimate the
distance from which a single bullet was fired by
looking closely at the entry wound.

are sometimes disposed of but also for spent shell

casings and/or loose rounds that were fired but
did not hit their intended targets and imbedded
themselves in nearby walls, doors or the ground.
5. REFERENCE:
[1]

4. DISCUSSION:
[2]
In all injuries/ wound related cases the total number
or wounds should be recorded and each would in
carefully measured and it's characteristics described with photography. A blunt force injury
comes from impact with a blunt object or something with no sharp edges.
Forensic expert determine the direction of impact,
the type of object that caused it and how often the
contact was made, often they're made by blows
from a hammer or axe head. Bite marks are also a
form of crushing wounds. With a knife or incised
wounds the crime scene investigator must make a
distinction between cut and stab or puncture
wounds and among different types of piercing implements such as an ice pick or small knife. Most
knives have a flat edge and a sharp edge which
can be seen in the wound angels. Some wounds
are defensive such as cuts made on the palms or
fingers of a victim's hands. Some time cuts are
associated with suicidal gestures are known as
hesitation wounds as the person attempts to inflict
self-damage.
As with all instances of a firearms offence that results in an injury, measurements are taken along
with photographs to aid in the identification of the
weapon used, it is necessary for a Forensic expert. Powder residue samples are taken and if the
victim dies as a result of their gunshot wound, the
round is removed for ballistic analysis from the
corpse at the autopsy stage. The forensic scientists and investigating officer scour the crime scene
looking not only for the weapon involved as they

[3]

[4]

[5]

109

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Sharma GK, Sarangi MP, Tyagi AK, Kumar
B. Medico-legal Interpretation of Stabbing
and Cutting Injuries (An Autopsy Study).
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Sharon R. Sexual Assault: The MedicalLegal Examination. McGraw-Hill/Appleton &
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