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Journal Article

Citation

Rafaels KA, Cutcliffe HC, Salzar RS, Davis M, Boggess B, Bush B, Harris R, Rountree MS, Sanderson E, Campman S, Koch S, Bass CR. J. Forensic Sci. 2014; 60(1): 219-225.

Affiliation

Center of Applied Biomechanics, University of Virginia, 4040 Lewis N Clark Drive, Charlottesville, VA, 22911.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.12570

PMID

25039407

Abstract

Modern ballistic helmets defeat penetrating bullets by energy transfer from the projectile to the helmet, producing helmet deformation. This deformation may cause severe injuries without completely perforating the helmet, termed "behind armor blunt trauma" (BABT). As helmets become lighter, the likelihood of larger helmet backface deformation under ballistic impact increases. To characterize the potential for BABT, seven postmortem human head/neck specimens wearing a ballistic protective helmet were exposed to nonperforating impact, using a 9 mm, full metal jacket, 124 grain bullet with velocities of 400-460 m/s. An increasing trend of injury severity was observed, ranging from simple linear fractures to combinations of linear and depressed fractures. Overall, the ability to identify skull fractures resulting from BABT can be used in forensic investigations. Our results demonstrate a high risk of skull fracture due to BABT and necessitate the prevention of BABT as a design factor in future generations of protective gear.


Language: en

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