Sharp force injuries in clinical forensic medicine--findings in victims and perpetrators.
The injury findings in 58 perpetrators and 158 victims surviving bodily injuries due to sharp force are presented here. Defence injuries were found in 45.9% of the victims without any significant differences between males and females. There was no clear predominance of defence injuries on the left forearm and hand, as is known from autopsy studies; the right and the left hands were affected with an almost identical frequency. Regarding other parts of the victims' bodies, the topographic distribution of injuries showed a marked concentration on the left side (63.7%). The thorax, head and neck were frequently affected (45.9%, 15.3% and 15.3%, respectively), and less often the abdomen (11.1%), the lumbar and gluteal region (6.3%) and the lower extremities (6.1%). In surviving victims with only one singular stab apart from the upper limbs, the incidence of additional defence injuries on the hands and/or forearms was significantly higher (28.3%) than in fatalities. When the perpetrators had unintentionally cut their own hands, the frequency of these injuries on the right and left hands was almost equal.
Schmidt
Ulrike
U
Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. ulrike.schmidt@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Pollak
Stefan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019548:Crime Victims; D003418:Criminology; D005260:Female; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*