Knife cut marks inflicted by different blade types and the changes induced by heat: a dimensional and morphological study
Issued Date
2022-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
09379827
eISSN
14371596
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85118229043
Pubmed ID
34713335
Journal Title
International Journal of Legal Medicine
Volume
136
Issue
1
Start Page
329
End Page
342
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal of Legal Medicine Vol.136 No.1 (2022) , 329-342
Suggested Citation
Vachirawongsakorn V. Knife cut marks inflicted by different blade types and the changes induced by heat: a dimensional and morphological study. International Journal of Legal Medicine Vol.136 No.1 (2022) , 329-342. 342. doi:10.1007/s00414-021-02726-5 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/86740
Title
Knife cut marks inflicted by different blade types and the changes induced by heat: a dimensional and morphological study
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Detailed information on skeletal trauma analysis of burned bone is important to ascertain the manner and cause of death in forensic casework. This research used three different knife types, one with a non-serrated blade, one a fine-serrated blade, and one a coarse-serrated blade, to inflict trauma to manually macerated Sus scrofa ribs (n = 240), and these ribs were later exposed to heat. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted using macroscopic and microscopic techniques to assess specific characteristics of the cut marks. Differences in cut mark dimension and morphology of the ribs were investigated. After heat exposure, the cut marks on the rib samples remained recognisable and did not alter considerably. A level of dimensional and morphological preservation was reliant on the cutting action and the features of the knife blade as well as surrounding bone injury. The cut marks inflicted by the non-serrated blade remained recognisable despite exposure to the burning process. However, the cut marks inflicted by the coarse-serrated blade were likely to change significantly when exposed to heat. This study leads to two important results: (1) identification of pre-existing cut marks prior to heat exposure is possible in reconstructed burned bone fragments, and (2) cut marks from different types of knife blades showed dissimilar responses to heat. The outcomes obtained in this study stressed the need to adopt great care with the effects of heat on skeletal trauma analysis.