Bevelling in exit gunshot wounds in bones.

The analysis of trauma to the skeleton is an important aspect of forensic case work, but most major pathology references devote limited attention 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. Assessment of bevelling was made by measuring the endocranial and ectrocranial size of the wound, locating the most pronounced bevelling, and determining if there is a correlation between the direction of bevelling and the direction of shooting. The results indicate outward bevelling of exit wounds in nearly two thirds of cases. No bevelling was observed in the orbits, sphenoid, and in some cases, the occipital and parietal bones. Internal bevelling of exit wounds was not found in this series. Bevelling may be partly understood using a glass model. The inconsistent correlation of the direction of bevelling in exit wounds with the direction of shooting leads to the conclusion that this characteristic cannot be relied upon to determine the direction of fire.