Effects of blade angle on the force and work during sharp force trauma of porcine ribs

Abstract

Forensic anthropologists interpret bony injuries to reconstruct what occurred during a homicide, including estimating the amount of force needed to create sharp-force trauma. Because a qualitative scale —mild, moderate and severe— is currently used for predicting the forces involved, recent studies have focused on providing more quantitative data. A stabbing is a dynamic event where both participants may be moving, so the wounds can be expected to occur over a range of orientations. This study analysed the effects of angle on sharp-force injuries. A pneumatic device that can create consistent overhand stabs was used to analyse the change in force and work at angles of 0°, 45° and 90° relative to the long axis of the ribs. The results indicate that the angle of the blade does affect the force and work required to create bony injuries. Therefore, the blade angle needs to be considered in forensic analyses.