Aaron Carpenter Tyler Billings Blunt Force Injuries Aaron Carpenter Tyler Billings

Blunt Force Injuries Blunt Force Injuries – wounds that are the result of blunt impact, such as tearing, crushing, or shearing There are three types of blunt force injuries Contusions Lacerations Abrasions

Contusions Contusion: bleeding into skin or soft tissue due to ruptured blood vessels A contusion signifies hemorrhage into the skin, the tissues, or both Better known as a bruise Coloring of bruise can be used to determine its age The amount of force applied can have an impact on the appearance of the bruise Children bruise easier than adults The coloring of a bruise typically changes from a light bluish-red color, to dark purple, to green, to yellow, and then finally to brown….

Lacerations Laceration: tear in tissue due to blunt force injury Lacerations are often jagged or irregular in appearance Lacerations are often characterized by an incomplete separation between tissue, such as blood vessels and nerves Tissue bridging is often a result of the incomplete separation between tissue Lacerations are often found over bony prominences Various sizes and shapes Scalp lacerations can be caused when the hair is caught in moving machinery parts, vehicle tires, wheels, and other rotating things. The rotational movement of these things tear the scalp from the skull, and forms a flap laceration.

Abrasion Abrasions – An injury that typically involves only the superficial layers of the epidermis Types Scratches – Caused by a sharp object passing across the skin Examples (fingernails, a pin, a thorn) Grazes- Caused by movement between skin and a rough surface that it comes into contact with show longitudinal parallel lines with skin heaped up at ends that are indicative of the direction that the force was applied most common type of abrasion Example (falling on the ground) Pressure Abrasions- Caused by the crushing of the superficial layers of the epidermis associated with bruising in the surrounding areas

Raccoon Eyes Caused by a basilar skull fracture It can be unilateral or bilateral (one or two eyes) Caused by hemorrhaging when a facial fracture occurs It is the bruising of the lax soft tissues around the eyes caused by skull base fractures Read more: http:///

Color of Bruises Color changes that occur: When it first appears, a bruise will be reddish looking, which reflects the color of the blood in the skin. light bluish red color begins after a few hours dark purple color occurs within the week yellowish/greenish color occurs at the end of week brown discoloration patterns become apparent from then on The coloring of bruise can be used to determine its age

Tissue Bridges Tissue bridges are threads of tissue that consists of nerves, elastic tissue fibers, connective tissue fibers, and blood vessels, that run in between opposing sides of the tear Tissue bridges are often associated with lacerations Tissue bridging is often a result of the partial tissue separation associated with lacerations This was the least graphic photograph online of tissue bridging….

Works Cited http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/forensicsbluntforce.html http://www.forensicmed.co.uk/wounds/blunt-force-trauma/lacerations/ http://www.acepnow.com/article/laceration-incised-wound-know-difference/ http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1680082-overview