A man is attacked with an axe. The wound on his shoulder shows deeply divided tissues with clean-cut edges at the centre, but the margins are bruised and abraded, and there is a notch cut into the underlying humerus. This wound is best classified as:
- A Incised wound
- B Chop wound ✓
- C Laceration
- D Stab wound
Correct answer: B. Chop wound
Explanation
A chop wound is inflicted by a heavy, sharp-edged weapon such as an axe or machete. It combines features of both sharp and blunt injury: the edge cleanly divides tissue like an incised wound, while the weight of the blow produces bruised, abraded margins like a laceration, and the underlying bone may show a clean cut or notch. A pure incised wound lacks marginal bruising, and a laceration lacks clean division of the central tissue.
Reference: Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th ed.
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