OBJECTIVE

To assess the morphological changes in stab wounds of the skin of a corpse at various periods of the musculoskeletal flap in the ground, as well as their suitability for identifying a traumatic object.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Skin and muscle flaps (188) with wounds were used as an experimental model. Stab wounds were examined both visually and under a microscope with photo and video fixation function (Discovery Artisan 128 20-500×).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The results showed that the morphological properties of stab wounds of the skin, which were immersed in the ground at a temperature of +13—15 °C and the pH of the earth 9.0, vary depending on the duration of the corpse’s stay in the ground. Identification capabilities for determining the instrument of injury from stab wounds of the skin that have been exposed to the earth depend on the duration of the corpse’s stay in the ground. After 7 days of finding a corpse in the ground, individual signs of stab wounds disappear; after 14 days, group signs change; the presence of a corpse in the ground for 30 days leads to their complete disappearance; the presence of a corpse in the ground for 50 days leads to the complete disappearance of species signs.