Wound Pattern Analysis and Injury Classification Flashcards

What feature most reliably distinguishes a gunshot entrance wound from an exit wound?

Answer: Entrance wounds typically have an abrasion collar while exit wounds do not

The abrasion collar (marginal abrasion) forms at entrance wounds as the spinning bullet stretches and scrapes the skin on entry; exit wounds lack this feature because the bullet pushes tissue outward.

Which term describes subcutaneous hemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma beneath intact skin?

Answer: Contusion

A contusion (bruise) results from blunt force rupturing blood vessels beneath intact skin, producing visible discoloration without breaking the surface.

In gunshot wound analysis, 'stippling' or 'tattooing' refers to:

Answer: Unburned or partially burned gunpowder particles embedded in the skin near an entrance wound

Stippling (tattooing) is caused by unburned or partially burned gunpowder particles that travel from the muzzle and embed in the skin at intermediate firing distances.

A wound with clean, straight edges, minimal tissue bridging, and uniform depth is most consistent with:

Answer: A sharp force incised wound

Sharp force incised wounds (cuts) produced by bladed instruments have clean, well-defined edges with little or no tissue bridging, distinguishing them from lacerations caused by blunt force.

A contact range gunshot wound to the head most characteristically produces which entrance wound morphology?

Answer: A stellate (star-shaped) wound from muzzle gases expanding beneath the scalp

At hard-contact range against the head, muzzle gases enter the wound track and expand beneath the scalp, tearing it outward and producing a characteristic stellate or cruciform laceration.

Which of the following best differentiates lacerations from incised wounds?

Answer: Lacerations have irregular, jagged edges with tissue bridging; incised wounds have clean edges

Lacerations result from blunt force tearing the skin, leaving irregular, abraded edges and tissue bridges spanning the wound; incised wounds from sharp instruments have smooth, clean-cut edges.

Which wound finding is most indicative of a close-range (but not contact) gunshot wound when soot is absent?

Answer: Stippling (tattooing) without soot deposition

At close-to-intermediate range, unburned gunpowder particles reach the skin to produce stippling, but the shooter is too far for soot (carbon) to deposit, making stippling without soot characteristic of this range.