INJURY

Clinically its defined as solution or disruption

of the anatomical continuity of any tissues of

the body.
Legally under section 44 IPC, its defined as

any harm whatever illegally caused to any

person in body,mind,reputation or property.

Wound
Medico-legally include any lesion,external

or internal,caused by violence,with or
without breach of continuity of skin.

Mechanical Injuries
Are those,which are caused by the physical

violence to the body,depending on the

manner and how they are caused.
Examples:- Blunt force injury.
Sharp force injury.
Fire-arm injury.

Classification of Mechanical Injuries

Blunt Force Injuries/Trauma:
Abrasions.
Contusions,.
Lacerations.
Sharp Force Injuries/Trauma:
Incised wounds.
Stab wounds.
Chop wounds.
Fractures.
Fire arm injuries.

Abrasions
Injuries involving superficial layers of the skin and are

caused by
-Impact of an object.
-Fall on rough surface.
-Pressure of finger nails,teeth,muzzle of
a gun or by rope.

Abrasion
Tangential
(friction/sliding/scrape)

Linear
(scratch)

Compression
(crushing/pressure)

Brush
Patterned
Non-Patterned
(graze)
Impact
Contact

Age of abrasion
Recent abrasion appears bright red scab 12-24 hrs.
Reddish brown scab 2-4 days.
Healing process starts 4-7 days.
Epithelium grows and dried scab falls 8-10 days.
Absence of infection.

Antemortem Abrasions
Reddish brown colour.
Margins are blurred due to vital reactions.

Postmortem
Abrasions
Yellowish in colour.
Translucent area.
Margins are sharply defined.
Absence of vital reactions.

Artifacts in
Abrasion
By Ants.
By Insects.
By Animals.
By Marine animals.

Medico-Legal
Aspects
Site of impact and possibility of internal

injury.
Identification of object causing the injury.
Cause of injury.
Direction of injury.
Time of injury.

Contusion/Bruise
Contusion is an infiltration or extravasion of

blood into the tissue due to rupture of vessels

by the application of blunt force.
Examples:-Stick,stone or fist.
Its subcutaneous without discontinuity of skin.

Features of
contusion
Varies in sizes-Haematoma.
Superficial contusions are slightly raised over the

skin.
May not be present at site of the impact.
Superficial contusions appear soon with red colour.
Deeper contusion appear late,can be detected by
infra red photography.
Contusions over bony prominences are less visible
externally.

Factors modifying the

appearance of

contusion
Site of injury.
Vascularity of the part.
Age.
Sex.
Colour of the skin.
Nature of disease.
Shifting of blood due to gravity.

Colour changes in
the contusion
Colour changes in the contusion is due to

disintegration and haemolysis of red blood cells.

Haemosiderin-Iron pigments,dark brown colour to
blue colour. 2-4 days.
Haematoidin-Iron free pigment. Green in colour. 5-7
days.
Bilirubin-Yellow colour.7-10 days.
Normal colour of skin 15-20 days.
Pigments are removed by phagocytes.

Age of the
contusion
Colour changes.
Histologically.
Healing process depends on:

-Size and situation of contusion.

-Age and physique of the person.
-Presence and absence of disease.

Antemortem
contusion
Sharp,well defined margins.
Swelling of the tissues.
Discoloration of the skin.
Extravasation of blood into the true skin and

subcutaneous tissue.
Doubtful cases-Microscopic examination.

Postmortem
contusion
Can be produced with in 1-2 hrs after death.
If body is decomposed it is difficult to

differentiate between antemortem and

postmortem contusions.

Self inflicted
contusion
Rare-can be inflicted by irritant substances

like Marking nut,root of plumbago

zeyloxica or rosea.
Can be differentiated by chemical analysis.

Homicidal
contusion
Shape and size of contusion,indicates the

weapon used.

Accidental
contusion
Their position,arrangement,circumstances

and surroundings.

Medico-Legal
Aspects
Identification of the object.
Degree of violence.
Cause of injury.
Time of injury.

Laceration
wounds/Injuries
These are the wounds caused by the blunt

force resulting torn of the skin and the

underlying tissue,with a minimal bleeding.

Features of the
lacerated wounds
Edges are ragged,irregular and contused.
Margins are abraded due to impact of blunt force.
Deep tissues are crushed.
Hair bulbs are crushed.
Less bleeding due to crushing of underneath vessels.
Presence of foreign materials.
Shape-Irregular.
Size-May or may not correspond to the weapon.

 Margins-Irregular
Floor-Tags of tissue seen across the floor.
Damage to the tissue-Gross and extensive.
Haemorrhage-Less because of crushing of

vessels.
Foreign substances at the site of injurydust,mud,gravels etc.
Healing-Process delayed due to gross damage
and infection.
Scars-Due to damage to skin and tissue.

Types of lacerated
wounds
Split laceration:
Found in pats overlying bones-scalp,face,hands

and lower limbs.

Due to perpendicular impact by blunt force.
Due to crushing of skin between two hard objects.
It simulates the incised wound.

Stretch laceration:
Due to over stretching of skin and produces

flap.
Due to blunt tangential impact-when head
strikes on the wind screen of the vehicle.
Due to sudden deformity of bones after
fractures.

Avulsion wound:
Degloving of skin over the impacted area

due to compression and grinding of

underlying tissue.
Commonly seen in road traffic accidents
and by machinery in heavy industries.

Tears laceration:
Due to friction with irregular or pointed end

of a weapon or an object on the surface of

the body.
Deeper at the string point than at the
terminal.

Cut laceration:
This type of lacerated wound is produce by

not so sharp edge of heavy weapon.

Seen in chop wounds.
Margins are not clear cut.
Abrasions or contusions are seen on the
margins.

Medico-Legal
importance
Homicidal-occurs in any part of the

body.produced by blows with hard and

blunt weapon.
Suicidal-Very rare.
Accidental-Road traffic accidents,
accidental fall from height.
Foreign bodies-Mud,gravel,oil etc.

Incised wounds
Its produced by sharp cutting instruments-

knife,razor,blade,swords,chopper,axe etc.

Features:
Edges are regular,clear cut, retracted and averted.
Except in neck and scrotum-edges are inverted.
Spindle shaped wound,maximum widening in the

central part.
Length is greater than the breadth.
Breadth is greater than the thickness of the
cutting blade.

 Gaping is greater if underlying muscles are

divided across or cut obliquely.

Haemorrhage is excessive due to the cleat
division of blood vessels.
Half severed artery bleeds more as they can
neither retract nor contract.
Edges of wound may be irregular when skin is
loose and if cutting edge is blunt.

 By nature of the incised wound,weapon used can

be identified.
Light sharp cutting weapons-razor blades,knife
an produce incised wounds by striking,drawing
or by sawing.
Drawing cuts-Deeper at start,gradually become
shallow and at the end only skin is cut with
scratch Tailing of the wound

 The position of the accused and victim can

be identified in homicidal cases,and suicidal

cases which hand has been used.

Sawing cuts-Multiple at the beginning and

only one deep cut wound called Tentative
or Hesitation cuts
Bevelling cuts-When weapon is used
oblique or tangential way over the body.

 Heavy sharp cutting weapons-like

swords,axes,choppers etc-wounds are greater

and severe. Usually homicidal in nature.
Injuries caused by these weapons show signs

of bruising over the edges and extensive

damage to deeper structures and organs.

 Incised wounds made by curved weapons

like sickle, tangi etc will cause single

wound when hit over the convex portion of
body.
Weapons applied over the flat surface, it

will make two wounds with intact of skin

between these two wounds and they will be
in the same line.

Medico-Legal
importance
Homicidal-Any part of the body, commonly on the

neck, head and trunk, also be found on the inner side of

forearm or hand of victim while defending or protecting.
Defence Wounds.
Suicidal-Found in the accessible parts by light weapons

on the throat (cut throat wounds). Tail end of the wound

indicates which hand has been used.
Accidental-Any part of the body hands, fingers during

the handling of knife, razor blades etc.

Weapon
Incised wound means use of sharp cutting

weapons.
Bevelled cuts and chop wounds suggest use
of heavy or moderately heavy sharp cutting
weapons.

Manner of use of weapon

Deep chop wounds and bevelling suggests

striking by the weapon.

Tailing and hesitation cuts indicate drawing
of the weapon.
Multiple superimposed or overlapping
injuries are indicated by saw like movement
of the weapon.

Direction of application of force

From the tailing and bevelling, the direction

of application of force can be known.

The relative position of the victim and the
assailant can also be known, by the
direction of application of force.

Age of the wound or time since injury

In case of dead bodies-histological examination

of tissue from the margin of the wound, gives the

clue that the survival of time after injury.
Time since injury can be studied by the healing
process.

 When fresh- Bleeding is still present or fresh soft

clot is adhered, margins are red, swollen and tender.

By 12 hrs- Blood clot and lymph dry up, margins

are red and swollen. Histologically there is

infiltration of leucocytes.
By 24 hrs- Proliferation of connective tissue cells

and vascular endothelium for neo-vascularisation.

By 36 hrs- Fibroblastic infiltration and capillary

network formation starts.

 By 48hrs- Capillary network is completed.

Fibroblasts run across the new vessels.

By 3-5days- Vessels are obliterated and thickened,

wound heals and scar formation starts and advances.

By 6th day- Scar formation is completed. Scab over

the wound falls off. After weeks and months, soft,

tender, reddish scar becomes tenderless, whitish and
firm.

Defence wounds
Defence wounds result from the immediate and

instinctive reaction of the victim to save himself,

either by raising the arm to prevent the attack or by
grasping the weapon.
If the weapon is blunt, bruises and abrasions
produced on the forearms or backs of the hand.
If the weapon is sharp the injuries will depend upon
the type of attack, whether stabbing or slashing.
If the weapon is single edged and grasped-single
wound. Double edged-double wound.

Fabricated & Selfinflicted wounds

They are the wounds inflicted by a person on his

own body.
Fabricated wounds-produced by a person on his
own body or others body with consent. (fictitious,
forged or invented)
To charge an enemy with assault or attempted
murder.
To aggravate a simple injury.

 By the assailant to pretend self defence.

In thefts\robbery where servants of the

house are involved, to get absolved from

the crime.
By woman to bring a charge of rape against

an enemy.

Stab wound\Punctured
wound
These are the deep wounds produced by the pointed

end of a weapon or an object, entering the body.

These injuries generally caused by sharp pointed
piercing stabbing weapons-knives, dagger, bayonet,
arrow, pick-axe, broken glass pieces.
A stab wound caused by a sharp pointed and cutting
instrument has clean cut edges, have sharp angles at
the two extremities.
The wound is wedge shaped if it is produced by
instrument with only one cutting edge.

 A sharp pointed and cylindrical or conical

instrument produces a wound having a circular or

slit like opening.
When the edges of the weapon are sharp, the

wound produced is an Incised penetrating

wound.
When the weapon edge is blunt, it produces a

Lacerated penetrating wound.

 When a stab wound enters into a body

cavity-thoracic, abdominal, joint cavities

penetrating wound.
When the wound pierces the body through

and through it is known as perforating

wound.

Features of punctured
wound
Length of the external wound should correspond

with the breadth of the blade of the weapon.

Entry wound length is little shorter than breadth of
the blade or body of the weapon.
Exit wound also similar to entry wound.
Breadth of the entry or exit wound should
correspond with the thickness of the part of the
blade of the weapon. But it depends on the elasticity
of the skin, direction of underlying muscle fibres
and their intactness.

 If the fibres are not cut, due to rigor mortis

reduces the breadth-fibres are cut increases

the breadth.
Depth is the greatest dimension of a stab
wound produced by the length of the
weapon introduced and its length and
breadth by the breadth and thickness of the
weapon respectively.
Sometimes wound may be greater than the
length of weapon in the yielding parts.

 Edges are retracted, clean or lacerated and

bruised according to the weapon used.

Knives, daggers, bayonets and other sharp
cutting weapons cause surface injuries will
be an Incised Wound.
Pick-axe or horn of animals which have
blunt edges-margins irregular, bruised and
lacerated.

 Shape of the wound of entrance in case of

stab wound depends on the shape of the

weapon and its edges.
Hilt marks are common when the weapon is
pushed till the handle.
Haemorrhage is more internally than
external wound.
Injury to the vital organs are common in
stab wounds.

Concealed Punctured
Wound
These are punctured wounds produced by

needles, nails or pins.

Concealed parts of the body-nostrils,
frontanella, fornix of the upper eyelids,
axilla, vagina, rectum and nape of the neck.

Complications
Marked internal haemorrhage.
Infection to the wound due to foreign

materials.
Air embolism.
Pneumothorax.
Asphyxia due to inhalation of blood.

Medico-Legal
Importance
Shape of wound indicates the type of weapon.
The depth of the wound indicates the force of the

penetration.
Direction and dimensions of the wound indicate the
positions of assailant and victim.
Age of the injury can be determined.
Position, number and direction of wounds can give
clue for manner of production-Suicidal, Accidental,
Homicidal.

Fracture
Fracture of a bone is defined as

disintegration or breakage of bone due to

blunt force either directly or indirectly.
Direct fracture.
Indirect fracture.

Direct Fracture
Focal fractures
Small force applied to a small area. Injury
to overlying soft tissue is minimal.
Eg-forearm and leg, where two bones lie
adjacent to each other. While defending
blows during an attack. Tapping
Fracture.

Crush fractures
It results from application of a large force

over a large area and is typically

fragmented.
Injury to the surrounding soft tissue is
usually extensive.
If two bones lie adjacent to each other, both
are involved.
Eg- fracture of tibia and fibula in RTA.

Penetrating fracture
It results from applications of a large force

over a small area.

Eg- Bullet injury to a bone. Both tissue
damage and the comminuted type of
fracture.

Indirect Fractures
Traction Fractures
It results when a bone is pulled apart by
traction.
Eg- Transverse patellar fracture due to
violent contraction, of this type of fracture
due to sudden contraction of quadriceps.

Angular fraction
It occurs due to bending of bone. The

concave surface of the bend is compressed,

while the convex surface is put under
traction resulting in breakage.

Rotational fracture
Fracture in spiral, when it is twisted.

Vertical compression fracture

In this type fracture can be seen in long

bones with oblique fracture when hard shaft

of the bone is driven into the cellous
portion.
In RTA there has been a collision and knee
has impacted violently against the
dashboard.

Angular-Compression fracture
Here the fracture line is curved, with an

oblique component due to compression and

a transverse component due to angulation.

Repair and healing of

the fracture
Healing of the fracture depends on the age and

nutritional status of a person. Usually cancellous

bone unites faster than cortical bone.
Haemorrhage phase.
Proliferation phase.
Callus phase.
Consolidation phase.
Remodeling phase.

 In the Haemorrhagic phase, bleeding will be at

the site of fracture.

In the Proliferation phase, a collar is formed
around the fractured ends by proliferation of
cells from periosteum and endosteum.
In the Callus phase, cellular elements give rise
to osteoblasts and chondroblasts which produce
a matrix of collagen and polysaccharide,
impregnated with calcium.

 In the Consolidation phase the callus is

transformed into mature bone by 4-6weeks

in children and in adults by 12-14weeks.
In the final, the Remodeling phase,

matured bone will take place.

Medico-Legal
Importance
Fracture of a bone constitutes grievous

injury according to law.

The type of fracture can give the clue of
causative force, whether direct, indirect,
rotational or angular etc.
The site of fracture may help to indicate the
cause of death.
Eg- fracture of hyoid bone suggestive of
throttling.