Incised Wound
Definition
A wound produced by a sharp-edged implement. Margins are clean, without contusion or bridging. Depth is less than length in a classic incision; the reverse pattern (greater depth than length) describes a stab wound.
- Distinguishing feature
- Length exceeds depth
- Edge appearance
- Clean, regular, everted margins with no contusion
- Weapon type
- Sharp-edged implement
Common questions
What makes an incised wound different from a stab wound?+
An incised wound is longer than it is deep, with clean, regular edges. A stab wound is the opposite: deeper than it is long. Both come from sharp weapons, but the depth-to-length ratio tells them apart. On bone, an incised wound leaves a V-shaped groove with a smooth floor.
What do the edges of an incised wound look like?+
The edges are clean and sharp with no bruising or tissue bridging across the wound. They often turn outward slightly (everted), which is typical when a sharp instrument cuts cleanly through skin. This clean margin is a key forensic clue.
How is an incised wound created?+
It is produced when a sharp-edged weapon is drawn across the skin, leaving a clean cut. On bone, the weapon creates fine striations running in the direction of the stroke.
Related terms
- Abrasion
- A wound where friction or tangential force removes the superficial layers of skin without penetrating the full thickness. Abrasions preserve the direction...
- Contusion (Bruise)
- Blunt-force trauma that ruptures small vessels beneath an intact skin surface. Blood collects in the tissue. Location, size, and shape can indicate...
- Laceration
- A wound torn by blunt or shearing force, characterised by ragged, contused margins and tissue bridges crossing the wound depths. The distinction...
- Stab (Punctured) Wound
- Wound produced by a pointed weapon where depth is greater than length on the skin; gives the best clue to weapon dimensions.
- Abraded Collar
- 1 to 3 mm rim of grazed skin around a firearm entry wound caused by the bullet stretching and scraping the skin...
- Avulsion
- Tearing away of tissue, leaving a flap or a gap. Avulsions convey information about the direction of force because tissue pulls away...
- Breakaway Spur
- A chip or spur of cortical bone on the exit face of a saw kerf, produced when the final tooth exits the...
- Chop Wound
- Combined incised and lacerated injury from a heavy edged weapon (axe, kulhari), often involving underlying bone.
- Class Characteristics
- Features deliberately or systematically imparted to a group of items by design or manufacture, such as the calibre of a bullet, the...
- Defence Wound
- Injury sustained while warding off an attack, typically incised or stab wounds on the palms, fingers, ulnar borders of forearms or back...
- False-Start Kerf
- A short, incomplete saw mark adjacent to the main kerf, produced when the cutter repositioned the saw after an unsatisfactory initial entry...
- Grievous Hurt
- Hurt falling within any of the eight clauses of BNS 2023 Section 116 (emasculation, vision loss, hearing loss, member or joint deprivation,...
Explained in these topics
- Injuries and Wounds: Types, Medicolegal Importance and Gunshot WoundsClean-cut wound produced by a sharp-edged weapon where length is greater than depth; spindle-shaped with everted, regular edges.
- Mechanical Injuries: Abrasions, Bruises, Incised and Stab WoundsClean-edged cut produced by a sharp-edged weapon drawn across the skin; longer than deep, edges everted and clean.
- Sharp-Force Trauma: Cuts, Stabs, Chops and Saw-Mark AnalysisA wound produced by a drawn cutting stroke across the bone surface; characterised by a narrow V-profile kerf, smooth polished floor, and striations running in...
- Wound Terminology and Injury DocumentationA wound produced by a sharp-edged implement. Margins are clean, without contusion or bridging. Depth is less than length in a classic incision; the reverse pat...