Forensic Aspects of Trauma 2

Question 1

What are examples of passive and acive defensive type injuries?

Answer 1

• Passive – victim raises arms and legs for protection
• Sliced, shelved often with skin flaps over backs of hands and forearms
• Active – victim tries to grab weapon or attackers hand
• Sliced shelved incised wounds on palmer aspect of hands and web spaces between fingers – particularly between thumb and index finger

Question 2

Self inflicted injuries

Answer 2

• Commonly sharp force
• Site of election - usually wrists/forearms, chest and abdomen
• Parallel, multiple and tentative incisions

Question 3

What are the factors that determine the consequences of injury?

Answer 3

• Type of mechanical insult – blunt, sharp, homicide, suicide, accident etc
• Nature of target tissue - head, chest, abdomen, fat
• Forces involved – high speed RTC, fall from height, kicking, stamping, punch
• Number of impacts – multiple vs single

Question 4

Question 5

What causes traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage?

Answer 5

Rapid rotational movement of head - usually a single punch to the jaw / upper part o f neck or side of head

Sudden unexpected twisting motion

Traumatic rupture of vessels at base of brain - most frequently distal portion of intracranial vertebral arteries at point where they cross the dura

Immediately unconscious and in cardiac arrest

Question 6

What does the clinical term - diffuse axonal injury mean?

Answer 6

Immediate and prolonged coma with no apparent mass lesion or metabolic abnormality

Question 7

What does the pathological term traumatic axonal injury mean?

Answer 7

Damaged axons due to trauma

Question 8

How is TAI (traumatic axonal injury) graded

Answer 8

Focal or diffuse (graded 1-3 depending on severity)

Question 9

What are possible post mortem injuries?

Answer 9

Animal predation

Insect predation