Kerf
Definition
The groove or channel cut into bone by a sharp implement; its width, wall angle, floor texture, and profile are the primary diagnostic features in sharp-force trauma analysis.
- Definition class
- Cut groove or channel in bone
- Diagnostic features
- Width, wall angle, floor texture, profile
- Trauma category
- Sharp-force trauma
- Instrument link
- Reflects the cutting edge that produced it
Common questions
How does floor texture help identify the type of implement used?+
A smooth, striation-free floor points to a single-edged blade drawn cleanly through bone, while a striated or serrated floor with regular parallel marks suggests a serrated blade or saw, and irregular chatter marks can indicate a dull or damaged edge.
Can kerf measurements distinguish a knife cut from a saw cut?+
Yes, in general terms. Knife kerfs tend to be narrower with a V-shaped cross-section and no repetitive striations, while saw kerfs are typically wider with parallel striae from individual teeth and a more uniform floor, though exact tool identification needs comparison with a suspect implement.
Related terms
- Breakaway Spur
- A chip or spur of cortical bone on the exit face of a saw kerf, produced when the final tooth exits the...
- Class Characteristics
- Features deliberately or systematically imparted to a group of items by design or manufacture, such as the calibre of a bullet, the...
- 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...
- Hinge Fracture
- A curved crack running from the deepest point of a chop kerf to the opposite cortex, producing a free-floating triangular fragment; characteristic...
- Incised Wound
- A wound produced by a sharp-edged implement. Margins are clean, without contusion or bridging. Depth is less than length in a classic...
- Kerf Wall Squareness
- The angle of the kerf walls relative to the bone surface; square walls indicate a stable, perpendicular saw stroke; canted walls indicate...
- Residual Tooth Marks
- Individual tooth impressions in the floor of an incomplete saw kerf, allowing direct measurement of tooth geometry and TPI when the saw...
- Tooth Set
- The lateral bending of saw teeth alternately left and right of the blade body, producing a kerf wider than the blade itself;...
- TPI (Teeth per Inch)
- The number of teeth on a saw blade per inch of blade length; determines the spacing of striation marks on the kerf...