Possibilities of diagnosing stab-cut wounds in living persons using computed tomography results

Abstract

Currently, modern research methods such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been introduced into the medical and diagnostic practice of large hospitals. These research methods are used almost everywhere for the diagnosis of various injuries, and their results, together with the medical documents of the victims, law enforcement officials, and courts provide state forensic medical expert institutions for the production of forensic medical examinations. The study of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging results allows solving expert questions in examinations and studies of living persons. The article presents a case from expert practice demonstrating the possibility of establishing the morphology and localization of stab-cut injuries, number of traumatic effects, and direction of wound channels using the results of in vivo computed tomography and three-dimensional modeling. In the described expert case, initially, in the submitted medical documents, data were contradictory about the number, localization and mechanism of formation of wounds. To eliminate existing contradictions, the scars on the victims body and results of a computed tomography upon admission were examined. For a more complete visualization of external injuries, a three-dimensional model of the victims body was recreated from computed tomography data. The results of computed tomography and three-dimensional modeling made it possible to clearly recreate the picture of the victims injuries and answer questions about the mechanism and conditions of their infliction. The described case demonstrates the possibilities of expert research and new methodological approaches to solving forensic problems, which is currently quite relevant, since virtopsia has been actively developing in forensic medicine in recent years. The proposed research techniques applied to a corpse with stab wounds will make it possible to more accurately visualize the direction and shape of the wound canal.

Keywords

• computed tomography
• stab-cut wounds
• three-dimensional modeling