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Overview of Sharp Force Damage: Key Factors, Analytical Approaches, Reconstruction Methods, and Future Directions for Standardization in Forensic Investigations Ανασκόπηση Φθορών από Αιχμηρά Αντικείμενα: Βασικοί Παράγοντες, Αναλυτικές Προσεγγίσεις, Τεχνικές Ανακατασκευής και Μελλοντικές Κατευθύνσεις για την Τυποποίηση στη Δικανική Έρευνα
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Overview of Sharp Force Damage: Key Factors, Analytical Approaches, Reconstruction Methods, and Future Directions for Standardization in Forensic Investigations Ανασκόπηση Φθορών από Αιχμηρά Αντικείμενα: Βασικοί Παράγοντες, Αναλυτικές Προσεγγίσεις, Τεχνικές Ανακατασκευής και Μελλοντικές Κατευθύνσεις για την Τυποποίηση στη Δικανική Έρευνα

Sotirios Ziogos, Kari Pitts, Alasdair Dempsey, Ian Dadour and Paola A. Magni OSI
WIREs. Forensic science, Vol.7(2), e70012
2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wfs2.70012
Appears in  Open Access via Read & Publish Agreements
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CC BY V4.0,  Open Access

Abstract

forensic simulation knife crime textile analysis textile damage toolmarks Forensic biology
The human stabbing action is a dynamic interaction between the assailant and a victim, resulting in sharp force damage. The morphology of such damage is influenced by multiple parameters before, during, and after the stabbing incident. In forensic investigations , examining wounds and textile damage provides critical information about the implement used, the method of stabbing, and the associated physical interaction between the assailant and the victim. This information aids in reconstructing events and determining whether injuries are homicidal, accidental, or self-inflicted. The assessment of tissue and textile damage involves qualitative analysis followed by hypothesis testing of simulated stabbing incidents and damage reconstruction. Currently, these reconstructions are manually performed by forensic practitioners, but variability exists in stabbing actions both between and within individuals, leading to limitations in accuracy, repeatability, and reliability. The present review represents the most current comprehensive overview of the factors affecting sharp force damage. It discusses the process of damage analysis with an emphasis on textile damage and discusses both manual and mechanical simulation methods used in research and forensic casework. It highlights the capabilities and limitations of these approaches, offering directions for future investigations and their forensic applications. Tables detailing the design and results of manual and mechanical experiments conducted since the 1920s are provided to assist operators. Finally, advanced methods , such as robotic arms that mimic human motions, are discussed as potential solutions to some of the current limitations, with the aim of enabling standardization in sharp force damage analysis and reconstruction. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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