Table 1.

Definitions used during forensic examination for injury findings

Definition	Description of finding
BRUISE	an area of haemorrhage beneath the skin
ABRASIONS	Superficial injuries to the skin caused by the application of blunt force. Different types of abrasions subdivided as:  Scratches.  Imprint e.g. pattern of the weapon leaving imprint abrasion on the skin.  Friction e.g. grazes from contact with carpet or concrete.
LACERATIONS:	ragged or irregular tears or splits in the skin, subcutaneous tissues or organs resulting from blunt trauma. (e.g. trauma by impact) Characteristics of a lacerated wound:  Ragged, irregular or bruised margins, which may be inverted.  Intact nerves, tendons and bands of tissue within the wound.  The presence of foreign material or hair in the wound.
INCISED WOUNDS:	injuries produced by sharp edged objects whose length is greatethan their depth. May be produced by a knife, razorblade, scalpel, sword or glass fragment. Characteristics of an incised wound:  Borders: sharply defined edges.  Surrounds: minimal damage.  Blood loss: variable, often profuse.  Contents: rarely contaminated.