## Distinguishing Features of Incised vs Stab Wounds **Key Point:** The fundamental difference between incised and stab wounds lies in the relationship between length and depth. ### Incised Wound - **Length > Depth** (characteristic feature) ✅ - Caused by a sharp-edged instrument (knife, razor, glass) moving tangentially across the skin - Clean, regular margins with minimal tissue damage - Wound edges are sharp and well-defined - Tissue bridging may be present in hesitation cuts but is not the primary distinguishing criterion ### Stab Wound - **Length < Depth** (characteristic feature) - Caused by a pointed instrument penetrating perpendicularly (thrusting action) into the skin - Narrow external opening but deep penetration into underlying structures - Can cause significant internal organ damage despite a small external opening **High-Yield:** The length-to-depth ratio is the SINGLE most important distinguishing criterion in forensic medicine: - **Incised wound → Length > Depth** (Option C) - **Stab wound → Length < Depth** (Option B) The question asks for the feature that distinguishes an **incised wound** from a stab wound. The hallmark of an incised wound is that its **length is greater than its depth** (Option C), as the cutting instrument travels along the skin surface. Option B (length < depth) describes a stab wound, not an incised wound. **Clinical Pearl (from Parikh's Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence):** "An incised wound is one in which the length on the surface is greater than the depth, while in a stab wound the depth is greater than the surface length." This ratio is the primary forensic criterion used to classify sharp-force injuries. **Mnemonic:** **INCISED = I Cut In a Straight Extended Direction** (length > depth); **STAB = Small Top, Ample Bottom** (depth > length)
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