What's Wrong with the Wound Ballistics Literature, and Why

Abstract

Attempts to explain wound ballistics (the study of effects on the body produced by penetrating projectiles) have succeeded in mystifying it. Fallacious research by those with little grasp of the fundamentals has been perpetuated by editors, reviewers, and other investigators with no better grasp of the subject. This report explains the projectile-tissue interaction and presents data showing the location of tissue disrupted by various projectiles. These tissue disruption data are presented in the form of wound profiles. The major misconceptions perpetuated in the field are listed, analyzed, and their errors exposed using wound profiles and other known data. The more serious consequences of these misconceptions are discussed. Failure in adhering to the basic precepts of scientific method is the common denominator in all of the listed misconceptions. Keywords: Wound Ballistics; Gunshot Wounds; High Velocity; Kinetic Energy.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA183285

Entities

People

  • Martin L. Fackler

Organizations

  • Letterman Army Hospital

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Biological Sciences
  • Debridement
  • Energy Transfer
  • Health Services
  • Measurement
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Research
  • Penetrating Wounds
  • Projectile Fragmentation
  • Projectiles
  • Small Arms
  • Small Arms Ammunition
  • Soft Tissues
  • Tissues
  • Weapons
  • Wound Ballistics

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Immunology and Pathology
  • ballistics.