Trauma attenuating backing improves protection against behind armor blunt trauma
Journal article, 2009

Background: Body armor is used by military personnel, police officers, and security guards to protect them from fatal gunshot injuries to the thorax. The protection against high-velocity weapons may, however, be insufficient. Complementary trauma attenuating backings (TAB) have been suggested to prevent morbidity and mortality in high-velocity weapon trauma. Methods: Twenty-four Swedish landrace pigs, protected by a ceramid/aramid body armor without (n = 12) or with TAB (n = 12) were shot with a standard 7.62-mm assault rifle. Morphologic injuries, cardiorespiratory, and electroencephalogram changes as well as physical parameters were registered. Results: The bullet impact caused a reproducible behind armor blunt trauma (BABT) in both the groups. The TAB significantly decreased size of the lung contusion and prevented hemoptysis. The postimpact apnea, desaturation, hypotension, and rise in pulmonary artery pressure were significantly attenuated in the TAB group. Moreover, TAB reduced transient peak pressures in thorax by 91%. Conclusions: Our results indicate that ordinary body armor should be complemented by a TAB to prevent thoracic injuries when the threat is high-velocity weapons.

High-energy missiles

Trauma attenuating backing

Lung contusion

Behind armor blunt trauma

Body armor

Author

A Sonden

D Rocksen

L Riddez

Johan Davidsson

Chalmers, Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers (SAFER)

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics, Vehicle Safety

JK Persson

D Gryth

J Bursell

U Arborelius

Journal of Trauma

0022-5282 (ISSN) 1529-8809 (eISSN)

Vol. 67 6 1191-1199

Subject Categories

Cell and Molecular Biology

DOI

10.1097/TA.0b013e3181a5b0e1

More information

Created

10/6/2017