ASM 275 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Road Rash, Gross Examination, Counterforce
14 Nov 2014
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Document Summary
Week 3: crime scene analysis, trauma and taphonomy. Module 16: blunt force trauma: what is blunt force trauma, blunt force trauma occurs any time a force impacts tissue over a relatively wide area, this includes some basic types of injury: Falls: basic blunt force terminology, a laceration is a tear in the skin caused by a blunt instrument. Width of the area between the contusions generally corresponds with the width of weapon. Long axis (length): can sometimes be estimated from dimensions of injury: short axis (width): an object with a small width needs less force to cause injury than one that is broader, the shape of the weapon. Obviously, a 12oz can of soup will cause less damage than a 4 lb. baseball bat: heavy instruments can cause catastrophic fractures resulting in large wounds with extensive crushing and fragmentation. However, a 12oz can of soup can cause an injury just as fatal if hurled with sufficient force.
