Can Synbone® cylinders and deer femurs reproduce ballistic fracture patterns observed in human long bones?
Schwab, Nathalie (Catalonian Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science)
Jordana, Xavier (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Soler, Joan (Mossos d'Esquadra, Unitat Central de Balística i Traces Instrumentals)
Garrido, Xavier (Mossos d'Esquadra, Unitat Central de Balística i Traces Instrumentals)
Brillas, Pedro (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona)
Savio, Andrés (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona)
Lavín González, Santiago (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Ortega-Sánchez, Marisa (Catalonian Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science)
Galtés, Ignasi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psiquiatria i de Medicina Legal)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Whereas gunshot injuries in human craniums have been well studied, reliable data on fracture patterns in ballistic long bone trauma remains scarce. Further information useful for forensic trauma interpretation and reconstruction may be retrieved from experimentally produced gunshot fractures. In order to avoid the use of human specimens for experimental research, it is of great interest to determine whether alternative models can reproduce the ballistic fracture patterns of human long bones. To address this question, we shot seven healthy adult human femurs and humeri each, ten samples each of two different polyurethane cylinders from Synbone and four femurs from female red deer. The specimens were embedded in ballistic gelatin and perpendicularly shot from a distance of 2 m, using a 9-mm full metal jacket projectile at an impact velocity of 360 m/s. The macroscopical appearance of the detailed fracture pattern considering entry, exit and general cortical traits as well as the bullet's energy lost upon impact were compared between the models. Despite some general similarities, neither of the two alternative models entirely reproduced the fracture patterns of human long bones. Comparing the two alternative models, the surrogate model revealed more significant differences to the human fracture than the animal model. This leads to the conclusion that the polyurethane material provides a different failure mechanism than real bone, underpinning the challenge in deploying an accurate analog.
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Journal of Materials Science, Vol. 58 Núm. 11 (march 2023) , p. 4970-4986, ISSN 1573-4803

DOI: 10.1007/s10853-023-08333-6

17 p, 1.4 MB

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