Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal Issues:What are incised–looking and incised wounds?

The wounds produced by a blunt weapon or by a fall on the hard surface/object, on tense structures/skin covering the bones, such as the scalp, eyebrow, iliac crest, shin, perineum, knee or elbow when the limb is flexed look like incised wounds; however, they are lacerated wounds, also called split lacerations, caused by blunt force and create confusion in the mind of police official about sharp weapon. Under magnifying lens, the edges of such wounds are found to be irregular with bruising. Such wounds are also produced by broken glass pieces, broken crockery, which have the characteristics of incised wounds but the edges appear parallel with one end of the wound.

A neatly incised laceration is an incised wound. An incised wound, cut, slash, and slice is a clean cut through the skin that may or may not involve underlying tissues and structures and is caused by a sharp–edged instrument, such as knife, razor, blade, scalpel, sword, which is longer than the depth of wound.

Significance for doctors and police officials

• Provides clue about the weapon used and the direction of the force.
• Duration of injury can be determined.
• Location of the wound may suggest mode of production i.e. suicide, accident, homicides, fabricated or otherwise