BEVELING IN EXIT GUNSHOT WOUNDS IN BONES

The analysis of trauma to the skeleton is an important aspect of foren sic case work, but most major pathology references devote limited atte ntion to this topic. The aim of this paper is to analyze bevelling in exit gunshot wounds from a series of 14 cases with 17 exit wounds. Ass essment of bevelling was made by measuring the endocranial and ectrocr anial size of the wound, locating the most pronounced bevelling, and d etermining if there is a correlation between the direction of bevellin g and the direction of shooting. The results indicate outward bevellin g of exit wounds in nearly two thirds of cases. No bevelling was obser ved in the orbits, sphenoid, and in some cases, the occipital and pari etal bones. Internal bevelling of exit wounds was not found in this se ries. Bevelling map be partly understood using a glass model. The inco nsistent correlation of the direction of bevelling in exit wounds with the direction of shooting leads to the conclusion that this character istic cannot be relied upon to determine the direction of fire. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.