FORENSIC TRAUMATOLOGY

and INJURIES

Prof. Dr. Hakan KAR

Mersin University
Faculty of Medicine
Department of Forensic Medicine
Classification of Injuries

● Mechanical

● Physical

● Chemical

● Biological
 FACTORS AFFECTING WOUND
FORMATION

 Physical factors:

– Amount of kinetic energy

– Duration of force

– Area that force applied

– Elasticity of the object

 Biomechanical features of tissue

Description of an injury
 Localization
 Size
– Length
– Width
– Depth
 Shape
 Margins
 Angles
 Queue
 Bleeding
 Route
 Age of the injury

Severity of the injury - Vital hazard

 MECHANICAL INJURIES

Sharp injuries
Penetrating
Blunt Traumas

Sharp penetrating
Firearm injuries Sharp and crush injuries
injuries
BLUNT TRAUMAS

Bruise, ecchymosis, contusion

Abrasion - Scratch

 The harm is limited with epidermis

Blunt traumatic lesions

Scratch - abrasion
E

D
 Antemortem

– Red brown

 Postmortem

– Yellow-semitranslucent
Brush Abrasion- Tangentially

Tag
Laceration- Rupture
Avulsion
 Blunt trauma

- İrregular margins
- Tissue bridges made of intact vessels
and nerves
- Abrasion and contusion next to margins
Hematoma
Periorbital Hematoma

Direct –Indirect
Fractures
Is external examination enough?
AUTOPSY

AUTOPSY
 Shaped– Patterned Lesions

Blunt traumatic lesions are usually shapless

Shaped Lesions

Tekerlek
Bite
Ray şeklinde ekimoz ?

 Railway ecchymosis
 SHARP INJURIES

Cuts

Length > Depth

Have Queue

Regular margins

Usually there is no bleeding at surrounding tissues and

subcotaneus tissue
ANGLES – Sharp injuries

Both of angles are narrow

Queue of the wound

DIRECTION
Begining Queue….. Short
Ending Queue…. Longer
B

E
Queue of the wound - Origin
Hesitation cuts – Origin?
Throath Cut – Cause of death?
Origin: Homicide/ Suicide
Origin? Tentative cuts
 DEFENSE CUTS

Especially on palm and

external side of forearm

 SHARP PENETRATING INJURIES

 KNIFES

 Both side sharp

 One side sharp

 WOUND

– Cut
– There is a distinct depth
– Angles by barrel;
 Both Narrow
 One Narrow One Wide
– Queue (end side)
– Regular margins
– Depth of the wound may be;
shorter/same/longer
(accordion effect) than
Barrels length
Angles -I
Angles –II / trace
 SHARP AND CRUSH INJURIES

 OBJECT

– Handle

– Barrel

 Sharp-edged

 Heavy object
 Sharp and Crash
Injuries
– Cut/laceration
– With depth
– Partially regular
margins
– Contused margins
– Effective on bone
Penetrating Injuries

Hard to detect !
Carefully external examination !