Introduction to Blast in the Context of Blast-Induced TBI

Sex as a Biological Variable in Preclinical Modeling of Blast-Related Traumatic Brain Injury

“…An explosion above ground, e.g., will cause a complex shock wave due to the effect of the ground reflection. A compound wave structure develops involving a Mach stem with shock wave properties of much greater severity than the incident blast (209). Likewise, when a shock wave encounters a wall or traverses an enclosed space, the reflected wave can be 2-14 times the magnitude of the incident wave (209,210).…”

“…A compound wave structure develops involving a Mach stem with shock wave properties of much greater severity than the incident blast ( 209 ). Likewise, when a shock wave encounters a wall or traverses an enclosed space, the reflected wave can be 2–14 times the magnitude of the incident wave ( 209 , 210 ). For an IED, the shock wave characteristics are altered by a number of interacting factors such as charge shape (e.g., IEDs designed for penetration of vehicles), the encasement of the charge, and the subsurface location that adds tertiary effects from the high-velocity ejecta (dirt, casement, additional components of the IED such as metal shard, toxic and exothermic chemicals).…”

“…A published description of the environment becomes a permanent record of intervening effects permitting meta-analyses through standard reporting. Full reportage also allows documentation of existing or potential experimental artifacts, such as reflective and blockage effects from the surroundings (including gauge or animal holder interference) and potential constraining factors such as shock tube dimensions, the size, location, orientation, fixation/restraint conditions of the study specimen(s), and exposure conditions of the test specimen(s) in relation to the overpressure source ( 209 , 217 , 219 ). The guidelines address additional considerations.…”