Cranial fracture patterns and estimate of direction from low velocity gunshot wounds

Cranial trauma produced by low velocity gunshot wounds is investigated in an autopsy series. In skeletonized remains with postmortem damage, or after surgical debridement, the primary internal or external beveling may become obscured, causing difficulty with the identification of entrance and exit wounds. The morphology of associated secondary and tertiary fractures based upon the mechanics of their production is discussed as a means of establishing bullet entrance and exit sites.