Ballbearing-bomb injuries.

Teare, R. Donald

doi:10.1136/bmj.1.6005.310

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Therefore, explosions can project both pieces of metal from the container of the explosive charge and added metallic material, such as ball bearings, nuts, bolts and nails. In the latter case, as highlighted here, injuries caused by firearms and those caused by exploded projectiles (nuts in our cases) can present very similar lesional patterns, as previously discussed [ 10 ]. How can these lesions be differentiated?…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Terrorist attacks: cutaneous patterns of gunshot and secondary blast injuries

Delannoy

Plu

Sec

et al. 2020

Forensic Sciences Research

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Terrorist attacks have been on the rise. During the recent terrorist attacks in France, terrorists perpetrated their acts using weapons of war, as well as explosive charges. These two modes of action, when combined, can create skin lesions with similar macroscopic appearances, which can sometimes go unnoticed because of body fragmentation. A total of 68 autopsies, 83 external examinations, 140 standard radiographic examinations, and 49 computed tomography (CT) scans were performed over 7 days during the 2015 terrorist attacks in France. Bodies were injured by firearms and shrapnel-like projectiles. We analysed the clinical findings for the secondary blast cutaneous lesions from the explosive devices and compared these lesions with ballistic-related lesions to highlight that patterns can be macroscopically similar on external examination. Secondary blast injuries are characterised by penetrating trauma associated with materials added to explosive systems that are propelled by explosive air movement. These injuries are caused most often by small, shrapnel-like metallic objects, such as nails and bolts. Propulsion causes ballistic-type injuries that must be recognised and distinguished from those caused by firearm projectiles. Differentiating between these lesions is very difficult when using conventional criteria (size, shape, number and distribution on the body) with only external examination of corpses. This is why the particularities of these lesions must be further illustrated and then confirmed by complete autopsies and radiological and anatomopathological examinations. KEY POINTS When occurring simultaneously in terrorist attacks, injuries caused by secondary blasts appear as cutaneous wound patterns that can be macroscopically very similar to those caused by firearm projectiles. The criteria usually found in the literature for distinguishing these two types of projectiles may be difficult to use. It is important in these difficult situations to benefit from systematic postmortem imaging. Systematic autopsy and then anatomopathological analyses of the orifices also help determine the cause of the wounds.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Terrorist attacks: cutaneous patterns of gunshot and secondary blast injuries

Delannoy

Plu

Sec

et al. 2020

Forensic Sciences Research

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“…Nails, various bolts, and any metallic debris have been used 9,10,14,20 as well as ball bearings. 17,23 We describe a series of eight patients who suffered penetrating head trauma caused by spherical bolts, all of which were ball bearings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain injuries caused by spherical bolts

Roth¹,

Mayo²,

Elran³

et al. 2005

Journal of Neurosurgery

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“…Ball bearing injuries have been shown to be remarkably similar to gunshot traumas (13); however, fragmentation of the three specimens subjected to the blast event involving ball bearings was so severe that no discernable point of impact could be located. Traumatic amputation of the limbs and cranium was also observed.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Explosive weapons are designed to be destructive through the sudden pressure change caused by the blast or by spreading shrapnel that acts as small projectiles, both of which may result in skeletal fractures and dismemberment. While there is an abundance of literature on blast trauma, particularly in medical and orthopedic journals, the focus of these studies is generally mortality from and treatment for blast injuries (e.g., [3][4][5][6][7][8][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]). Moreover, most of these studies are case reviews, with very few controlled, empirical studies having been conducted (e.g., [11]).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary and Secondary Skeletal Blast Trauma*^,†

Christensen

Smith

Ramos

et al. 2011

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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This study examines primary (resulting from blast wave) and secondary (resulting from disintegrated, penetrating fragments) blast trauma to the skeleton. Eleven pigs were exposed to semi-controlled blast events of varying explosive type, charge size, and distance, including some cases with shrapnel. Skeletal trauma was found to be extensive, presenting as complex, comminuted fractures with numerous small, displaced bone splinters and fragments. Traumatic amputation of the limbs and cranium was also observed. Fractures were concentrated in areas nearer the blast, but there was generally no identifiable point of impact. Fractures were more random in appearance and widespread than those typically associated with gunshot or blunt force injury events. These patterns appear to be uniquely associated with blast trauma and may therefore assist forensic anthropologists and other forensic examiners in the interpretation of skeletal trauma by enabling them to differentiate between blast trauma and trauma resulting from some other cause.

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Ballbearing-bomb injuries.

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Terrorist attacks: cutaneous patterns of gunshot and secondary blast injuries

Terrorist attacks: cutaneous patterns of gunshot and secondary blast injuries

Brain injuries caused by spherical bolts

Primary and Secondary Skeletal Blast Trauma*^,†

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Ballbearing-bomb injuries.

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Terrorist attacks: cutaneous patterns of gunshot and secondary blast injuries

Terrorist attacks: cutaneous patterns of gunshot and secondary blast injuries

Brain injuries caused by spherical bolts

Primary and Secondary Skeletal Blast Trauma*,†

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Product

Resources

About

Primary and Secondary Skeletal Blast Trauma*^,†