Lesson № 6
Theme: FORENSIC INVESTIGATION OF DAMAGES CAUSED BY
SHARP OBJECTS.
Aim: to be able to investigate and describe damages of a body (wounds)
from action of sharp objects, to determine with properties of wounds a kind of
sharp subject and to make medicolegal conclusions.
Professional motivation.
Wounds by various sharp objects are met rather frequently in practical
medical work, in particular, in case of crimes against life and health of citizens. In
this connection any clinical physician or the medicolegal expert needs to know
morphological properties of damages of the person from sharp objects, to be able
to investigate and describe correctly them in medical documents, to determine a
kind of an injuring subject and the mechanism of its action, to carry out
differentiational diagnostics with damages by other objects and oth. The Decision
of these questions helps law enforcement bodies in disclosing crimes.
Base level of knowledge and skills:
For mastering a theme each student should:
1. Know definition of a wound, essence of concepts about a trauma and a
traumatism.
2. Know, what is inflammation and regeneration of tissues and their
morphological displays.
3. Be able to classify wounds, to use knowledge of a course wound process,
adhesion of wounds, morphological changes in a wound.
4. Be able to distinguish the reasons, kinds, morphology and consequences
of an external and internal bleedings, haemorrhages.
Student’s Independent study program:
During preparation for Lesson it is necessary to learn such basic questions:
1. Definition and classification of sharp objects.
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Sharp we name such objects, which, operating on man body whether his
clothes by its edge whether end, cause damage with some properties. These
properties depend on specific (group) peculiarities of sharp objects.
The Sharp objects classify differently. Usually pick out the groups basic 3:
cutting, hewing and prickly, and also prickly-cutting. But is still sawdust objects
(different saws), drilling and hollowing objects, damage to which meets thinly and
to that study by their students by work program from judicial medicine not
foreseen.
2. The characteristic of the wounds caused by sharp objects:
2.1. The common signs of wounds from sharp objects;
To general wounds signs from action of sharp objects:
● form: of the wounds; screw-type, chink or radiant;
● - levels, ganoid, without delimits, sediments, (fleecing of epidermis),
without slights tear, effusions of blood wounds edges, which is not exfoliated
from being subject cloths;
● lack of connecting-tissue membranes between contrary edges whether in
wounds ends;
● sharp, sometimes with slights tear (attached to action of hewing whether
some prickly objects) wounds ends;
● levels, plumb them walls, without effusions of blood within bounds the
skins. This does not behave to fatty cellulose, a surface of which from action of
sharp objects always has uneven grainy appearance.
2.2. Specific signs of wounds from cutting, hewing and pricking objects;
We can diagnose action of cutting objects for such specific (whether group)
wounds signs:
● form their screw-type, and attached to summary edges
linear (in tie with
what has only length), and their clear spaces in appearance of overturned triangle.
Typical wounds gaping due to skin contractility whether cut muscular fibres;
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● the wounds ends have an incision (gradual wound depth underestimation
bullock of her centre to the last from boundary paths own skin and epidermis) and
(whether) incision (flesh epidermis damage of linear form);
● dominance of wound length over her depth and width. However on neck
wound from cutting object can have a considerable depth;
● typical strong bleeding, because cut of the vessels, and do not rive, and
that's why do not fall;
● they heal over mostly by first intention and omit the thin linear scars.
By reason of action of hewing objects are generated the wounds, which
differ by considerable size and depth, to them inherent signs, typical for wounds
from sharp objects. By trauma Peculiarity by hewing objects is damage of being
subject bone. If under damaged soft cloths not about bone, then such advices can
be confused with wounds from other sharp objects, specifically - from cutting.
Wounds properties from action of prickly objects, them morphological
description being in important right for diagnostics of group implement
peculiarities, depend on specific (group) peculiarities of these objects. All variety
of prickly objects can be leagued all into three sub-groups:
● prickly objects with withoutribs surface;
● prickly objects with ribs;
● prickly objects with one or by two blades.
3. Essence of identification of objects with which wounds render.
The greatest evidentiary value in definition of a concrete subject of a trauma
has a method of identification. It is an establishment of identity of the object for
its external characteristic, individual, only to it inherent signs. Identification of a
subject of a trauma can be made only under condition of if there is a subject which
identity should be established, and displays which have arisen from its action. It
is possible to identify objects of a trauma (blunt, cutting, hewing, pricking subject)
taking into account damages on a body at presence of traces which display
individual signs of a subject on bones, cartilages, sometimes on a skin, clothes as
lines, prints and other traces.
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Illustrative material.
Object of research are museum anatomic macropreparations (rags of a skin
from corpses of people) with wounds from various sharp objects. Numerous
educational tables, stands and models of a theme illustrate lesson. At microscopic
research of histologic preparations from skin microscopes МБР-1, Виолам Р-ІІ are
used.
Students’ Practical Activities:
Lesson is carried out as independent research by students of part of the
corpse of the person ( piece of a skin) with damages ' (wounds) from various sharp
objects and a histologic preparation that correspond to this piece of a skin. During
performance of work it is necessary to mean the following questions, answers on
which should be adduced in "Conclusions" of the act:
1. Whether there are damages on an object, their kind, what objects they are
caused by?
2. Intravitality or postmortualy they were caused?
3. What prescription of formation of damages?
4. Whether approach of death from these damages is possible and what their
degree of weight?
Research should be directed on revealing of changes, signs that could give
the argued conclusions to these questions. The found changes and signs should be
displayed in protocol part of the act.
Research of object is accompanied by spelling of the “Act of medicolegal
research ", which consists of 2 parts: the report (the introduction, preliminary data,
and research of object), which the doctor subscribes, and conclusions signed by the
doctor and reflection of the seal.
Work is necessary for beginning with drawing up of an introductory part.
Date, city, surname and initials of the doctor, which carries out research is marked
in the introduction, a surname and the initials of the inspector, the document by
which research is appointed, its number and date, a place of carrying out of
research, object which is studied, and the puting questions are indicated.
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In section " Preliminary data " shortly circumstances of case is adduced,
with indicating a source of information. In section " Research of object " its form,
sizes, color, regional features of surfaces and properties of edges in details are
described. Localization of damages, their kind, the form, the sizes, features of
edges, the ends and surfaces, its color, signs of healing, property of surrounding
tissues are also marked. The description should be accompanied by a schematic
sketch of object and damages.
Place of damages is researched with microscope. It is separately marked and
described in the act under heading " Microscopic research ".
Answers to the questions puting by investigatory bodies is maked in
"Conclusions", and its should be motivated with the data adduced in the report.
Discussion and analysis of the works executed by students are carried out at
the end of the Lesson, it is summed up.
Each student must know:
1. Modern classification of sharp objects.
2. The mechanism and morphgenesis of damages by sharp objects,
3. The common and specific signs of wounds from sharp objects.
4. Opportunities of definition of a concrete copy of the sharp instrument,
which wound has been put by.
Student should be able to:
1. Describe wounds caused by action of sharp objects.
2.
Determine a kind of sharp and subspecies of pricking object after
properties of wounds.
3. Issue, formulate and prove conclusions when damages are caused by
sharp objects.
References.
1. Lecture
Prepared by ass. prof. Franchuk V.
Adopted at the Chair Sitting “ ___”______________2003, Minutes
Revised at the Chair Sitting “ ___”______________2003, Minutes
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