Injuries of the Head from Backface Deformation of Ballistic Protective Helmets Under Ballistic Impact |
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| Authors: | Karin A. Rafaels Ph.D. Hattie C. Cutcliffe B.S.E. Robert S. Salzar Ph.D. Martin Davis M.S. Brian Boggess M.S. Bryan Bush M.D. Robert Harris M.D. Mark Steve Rountree Ellory Sanderson B.S. Steven Campman M.D. Spencer Koch M.D. Cameron R. ‘Dale’ Bass Ph.D. |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Center of Applied Biomechanics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA;2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Injury Biomechanics Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, NC;3. Emory University, Atlanta, GA;4. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD;5. U.S. Army—Aberdeen Test Center, Aberdeen Test Center, CSTE‐DTC‐AT‐CS‐BD, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD;6. San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, San Diego, CA;7. Department of Radiology, Duke University, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC |
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| Abstract: | Modern ballistic helmets defeat penetrating bullets by energy transfer from the projectile to the helmet, producing helmet deformation. This deformation may cause severe injuries without completely perforating the helmet, termed “behind armor blunt trauma” (BABT). As helmets become lighter, the likelihood of larger helmet backface deformation under ballistic impact increases. To characterize the potential for BABT, seven postmortem human head/neck specimens wearing a ballistic protective helmet were exposed to nonperforating impact, using a 9 mm, full metal jacket, 124 grain bullet with velocities of 400–460 m/s. An increasing trend of injury severity was observed, ranging from simple linear fractures to combinations of linear and depressed fractures. Overall, the ability to identify skull fractures resulting from BABT can be used in forensic investigations. Our results demonstrate a high risk of skull fracture due to BABT and necessitate the prevention of BABT as a design factor in future generations of protective gear. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science head injury ballistic injury biomechanics helmet deformation backface deformation |
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