## Entrance vs Exit Wounds in Firearm Injuries **Key Point:** Entrance and exit wounds have distinct morphological features that are crucial for forensic reconstruction of shooting incidents. ### Entrance Wound Characteristics | Feature | Entrance Wound | Exit Wound | |---------|---|---| | **Size** | Usually smaller | Usually larger (bullet deformation) | | **Abrasion collar** | Present (friction) | Absent | | **Soot/blackening** | Often present (close range) | Absent | | **Thermal injury** | May be present (very close range) | Absent | | **Bone beveling** | **Outward (inverted/external)** | **Inward (internal)** | | **Edges** | Inverted inward | Everted outward | ### Bone Beveling — The Critical Distinction **High-Yield:** When a bullet enters bone, it creates **outward (external) beveling** at the entrance. This occurs because the bullet punches through the outer cortex cleanly, then the inner cortex fractures and splinters outward as the projectile exits the inner table. Conversely, exit wounds show **inward (internal) beveling** — the bullet exits from inside, pushing bone fragments inward. **Clinical Pearl:** In skull gunshot wounds, beveling direction is one of the most reliable ways to determine shot direction. Inverted beveling (inward) is characteristic of **exit wounds**, NOT entrance wounds. ### Why This Matters in Forensic Pathology **Mnemonic:** **"ENTRANCE = External beveling, EXIT = Internal beveling"** The question asks for the feature that is **NOT** characteristic of entrance wounds. Inverted (inward) beveling is a feature of **exit wounds**, making it the correct answer — it does NOT belong in the list of entrance wound features. **Warning:** Students often confuse the direction of beveling. Remember: the side from which the projectile exits shows inward beveling (the bone is pushed inward by the exiting projectile).
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