What distinguishes an incision from a stab wound?

An incision is characterized primarily by its greater length than depth, distinguishing it from a stab wound, which is typically deeper than it is wide. An incision results from a sharp object sliding across the skin, leading to longer wounds that may appear relatively superficial, while a stab wound is produced by a pointed instrument entering the skin, creating a more profound injury in depth. Therefore, the depth of the wound is a key feature that differentiates incisions from stab wounds.

In the context of this question, wound width, clean edges, and initial impact force are important factors in understanding wounds in forensic medicine but do not distinctly differentiate an incision from a stab wound. The width of an incision may be greater; however, it is the depth that defines the nature of the wounds more directly. Clean edges can be observed in both types of wounds depending on the instrument used, and the initial impact force might not consistently correlate with the cuts made, making depth the most significant factor in this distinction.