Medico legal aspects
of injury Blunt force
injury aBrasion
Prof Dr Imran Jawaad
Head of Department
Forensic Medicine & Toxicology
University College of Medicine
The University of Lahore
[email protected]
Learning outcomes
• Define the term injury
• Define term wound
• Differentiate between injury and wound
• Classify injuries
• Discuss mechanism of wound production
• Define mechanical injuries
• Classify mechanical injuries
• Define abrasion
• Enlist its types
• Comment on antemortem and postmortem
abrasions
• Describe its medicolegal importance
Injury
From medical point of view injury means any break in
the body tissue externally or internally.
Pakistan penal code defines injury as any harm caused
illegally to any person in body, mind, reputation or
property.
Wound means any disruption in the anatomical continuity of any
tissue of the body.
Injuries caused by physical violence to the body are known as
mechanical injuries.
According to Qisas and Diyat Act hurt means causing pain, harm,
disease, injury, infirmity or impairing disabling, dismembering an
organ of the body or part thereof without causing death.
Wound has so far not been defined by law.
Legally wound has not Wound is a medical
been defined by law, term whereas injury is
whereas, injury has used both medically
been defined by law. and legally.
Depending upon the causative agent, injuries are classified as follows
Mechanical Thermal Chemical Miscellaneous
Blunt Sharp Firearm
Irritant
Abrasion
Corrosive
Contusion Smooth
Laceration Rifled
Lightening
Electrocution
Incised Punctured
Heat Radiation
Cold Blast injuries
Mechanism of injury
The main factors responsible for mechanical injury are
• Force
• Area over which it acts
• Specific effect of the force
• Time taken over which kinetic energy is transferred
Mechanical injuries are produced as a result of
application of blunt force
Factors affecting the appearance of the wound
Execution and Weight and Architectural Movement of
Type of Resistance of
mechanical velocity of the design of the the part
weapon the tissue
force weapon tissue struck
Abrasion
Injuries involving superficial layers of the skin
(epidermis or mucus membrane) due to impact
against some hard, blunt or rough object / weapon.
It is caused by friction and or pressure between the
skin and some rough object or surface.
It bleeds very slightly, heals rapidly in a few days and
leaves no scar.
Abrasions are classified as
Scratches or linear abrasions.
Grazes (sliding / tangential / brush)
Pressure (crushing / imprint)
Patterned
Scratches or linear abrasions
These are produced by horizontal
or tangential friction by the
pointed end of some object like
thorn, nail, needle or tip of a
weapon.
Caused by horizontal or Epidermis will heap up
tangential friction at the opposite end
between the broader and the pattern of the
Grazes surface of the skin and heaping will indicate
the object / weapon or the direction of
hard surface of the movement of the
ground. object against the skin.
Pressure abrasion (imprint abrasion,
crushing)
When the impact is vertical to the skin
surface, the epidermis gets crushed and
results in pressure type of abrasions. The
imprint of the impacting object may be
produced.
Patterned abrasion
When the force is applied at or
around right angle to the surface of
the skin. The abrasion usually forms
the pattern of the object.
Atypical abrasions
Nail marks and teeth bite may be included in this
category of abrasion though they produce
lacerations too, depending upon the force
applied. Nail marks are especially important in
cases of child abuse, sexual offences etc.
Age of abrasion
Fresh Area appears reddish due to oozing of the serum and blood. Dermis will
be congested and painful
12-24 hours Exudation dries to form reddish scab, comprising dried blood, lymph
and injured epithelium (scab formation)
1-3 days Scab is reddish brown, less tender and adhering over abraded area
4-5 days Scab is dark brown in appearance
6-7 days Scab is brownish black in appearance and starts to fall of from the
margins
7-10 days Scab shrinks and falls off, leaving some depigmented area underneath.
The depigmented area gets pigmented with due course of time
In dead, as the circulation
of blood has ceased,
there is no exudation of
serum, therefore, the
In living abrasion can be
surface gets dried up and
detected by vital reaction.
become hard acquiring
the consistency of
parchment and also
appears brownish.
Abrasion may be
differentiated from Excoriation of skin by
erosion of skin produced excreta
by insects, ants etc
Medicolegal importance
There importance lies in the fact that they are
produced at the point of impact of the blunt
force
They may exhibit a pattern thereby providing
information regarding the nature of the case
Their site and distribution over the body may
yield some clue towards the nature of the crime
Direction of the application of the force may be
inferred
Presence of mud, grit, coal, dust etc in and
around the abraded area suggest the nature of
surface or agent responsible for its causation
Stages of healing suggest time of its infliction
Lastly, fabricated abrasion may be produced to
bring false charge of assault
