Injuries: sliding abrasion direction: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Injuries: sliding abrasion direction

Sample item

A motorcyclist skids along a tarred road. A long graze on his forearm shows a smooth start and, at one end, heaped-up shreds of epidermis. What do the heaped shreds indicate?

AHealing by early granulation tissue at that end of the woundBThe end where the sliding contact finished, so the force travelled towards the heaped endCA vital reaction proving that he survived for several hoursDThe point of first contact, where the force began and was strongest

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. The end where the sliding contact finished, so the force travelled towards the heaped end

In a sliding abrasion (graze) the roughened surface scrapes the epidermis and piles it up in front of itself. The shreds therefore collect at the end where the contact stopped, and the start of the graze is smooth and shallow. This helps to determine the direction of the force in road traffic injuries.

Option by option

A. Healing by early granulation tissue at that end of the wound
Granulation tissue takes days to form and is not seen as loose epidermal shreds.
B. The end where the sliding contact finished, so the force travelled towards the heaped end (correct)
Correct. Epidermal shreds accumulate at the terminal end of the scrape.
C. A vital reaction proving that he survived for several hours
Heaped epidermis is a mechanical effect and does not indicate survival time.
D. The point of first contact, where the force began and was strongest
The beginning of the graze is the smooth, shallow end, not the heaped one.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, The end where the sliding contact finished, so the force travelled towards the heaped end. In a sliding abrasion (graze) the roughened surface scrapes the epidermis and piles it up in front of itself.

Why is "Healing by early granulation tissue at that end of the wound" not the answer?

Granulation tissue takes days to form and is not seen as loose epidermal shreds.

Why is "A vital reaction proving that he survived for several hours" not the answer?

Heaped epidermis is a mechanical effect and does not indicate survival time.

Why is "The point of first contact, where the force began and was strongest" not the answer?

The beginning of the graze is the smooth, shallow end, not the heaped one.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries: sliding abrasion direction in Forensic Medicine. The shreds therefore collect at the end where the contact stopped, and the start of the graze is smooth and shallow. This helps to determine the direction of the force in road traffic injuries.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Injuries: sliding abrasion direction?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.