Wound Ballistics Research of the Past Twenty Years: A Giant Step Backwards
Abstract
Wound ballistics research is supposed to aide the surgeon in providing optimal care for the wounded, but recent trends in ballistics research have not provided the surgeon with objectively determined information. Twenty years ago, wounds from penetrating projectiles were likely to be treated in a rational and effective manner; today many surgeons are prone to remove excessive amounts of tissue when treating wounds caused by what they assume to be 'high- velocity' projectiles. The most common battlefield wound has a simple punctuate entrance with tissue disruption limited to a diameter no larger than the wounding projectile. The rifle wound of the extremity, where the bullet has not yet yawed, and virtually all individual wounds from explosive device fragments fall into this category. Historically, this type of wound has healed well, despite little or no treatment -- even in preantibiotic days. Since the Vietnam era, the bulk of wound ballistics 'research' has been politically motivated. The battlefield surgeon determines treatment according to the amount, type, and location of tissue disruption, rather than the supposed velocity of the projectile.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 16, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA221395
Entities
People
- Martin L. Fackler
Organizations
- Letterman Army Hospital