In stab wounds caused by a single-edged knife, the wound typically shows one sharp angle and one blunt angle (notched end). The feature that indicates the stabbing was done with DOWNWARD FORCE using a single-edged blade held with the edge upwards is:

• A The wound track shows a wider entry than exit
• B Hesitation cuts are present near the wound
• C A hilt mark (contusion) is present at the entry wound
• D The blunt angle of the wound is at the superior margin ✓

Explanation

In a single-edged knife wound, the sharp edge produces a clean pointed angle in the skin entry wound, while the spine/back of the blade produces a blunt, squared-off, or notched angle. When a knife is held with the cutting edge upward and thrust downward, the spine of the blade is at the top of the wound, producing the blunt angle at the superior margin of the wound. This analysis helps reconstruct the relative position of attacker and victim, the direction of thrust, and the way the knife was held. Hilt marks indicate full penetration to the hilt, not direction.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.