Results of experimental research of wound ballistics of separate types and calibers of modern bullets

There was made the analysis of wound ballistics of modern expansive bullets in comparison with shell bullets on 25 blocks of ballistic plasticine (ROMA PLASTILINA No. 1, Ballistic Testing Backing Material), made in the USA, in which one shot from an AKS-74 automatic firearm and carbine ZBROYAR Z-10 with an optical sight was fired. The bullet speed was the highest in 5.45x39 caliber cartridge with a V-max bullet. – 1185 m/s, low in the bullet caliber cartridge .308 Win with a bullet SP, – 664 m/s. The difference is significant at the level of significance α=0.05. In terms of the size of the entrance hole, the largest is from the bullet of cartridge .308 Win with a bullet SP – 10.0 cm, the smallest - from the bullet "PS" with a steel core 5.45x39 mm, cartridge sample of the year 1974 (7H6) – 1.2 cm. The difference is significant at the level of significance α=0.05. In the expansive bullet of type "V-Max" of shortgun cartridge of caliber 5.45x39 mm, the size of the entrance hole was 9.1 cm, with asterial shape having radial gaps and turned edges of ballistic plasticine on the outside. All cartridges with expansive bullets did not have an exit hole after the shot. The dimensions of the formed residual cavity were the largest after firing with .308 Win caliber cartridge with a bullet SP – 25.0x5.0 cm., the smallest – bullet of a military caliber cartridge of 5.45x39 mm (7H6) – 6.0x4.0 cm. The difference is significant at significance level α=0.05. The shape and character of the residual cavity in ballistic plasticine was significant for all expansive bullets, in contrast to the bullet of a military cartridge 5.45x39 mm (7H6), where no such changes are detected. The considerable signs of expansion properties and deformation of the bullet in the form of a "flower of death" were identified in the bullet of caliber cartridge .308 Win with a bullet SP, other bullets with expansive properties showed significant fragmentation, with the location of fragments both in the residual cavity and outside its borders at different distances. Expansive bullets differ significantly at the level of significance α=0.05. The low flight speed of bullets (m/s) of .308 Win caliber cartridges with bullets BTHP and SP is due to their structure, weight, and caliber. Bullet of type V-max with cartridge 5.45x39 mm has the highest speed – 1185 m/s, and due to its design has significant expansive properties. Common to expansive bullets is a entrance hole, the blind nature of the lesion with the presence of a large residual cavity, which is due to kinetic energy return 114.37 E, J/mm2 inside the object of lesion. Fragmentation of expansion bullets occurs inside an object with fragments located at different distances. A .308 Win caliber cartridge with SP bullet causes deformation of s bullet by the type of "death flower" causing significant damage.

Military surgery research laboratory — yesterday, today, tomorrow…

Presents the history of organization and development of a unique research unit of the Military Medical Academy named after S.M. Kirov, which is engaged in conducting field experiments and field tests using laboratory animals. The history of the laboratory starts in 1982 with the organization of the combat trauma research laboratory, led by an experienced abdominal surgeon, holder of post-doctoral degree in medicine, professor, colonel of Medical Corps V.A. Popov. Within a short time, the research laboratory succeeded in staffing with highly qualified interdisciplinary team, including surgeons, pathophysiologists, critical care physicians, biochemists, morphologists, microbiologists. This gave the opportunity to carry out research on modern combat trauma not only in the experiments with laboratory animals and on the treatment of casualties admitted to the Academys clinics, but also in the combat environment of Afghanistan war as a mobile interdisciplinary team based at medical institutions of the 40th Army. In June 1993 the Combat Trauma research laboratory was combined with the Shock and Terminal State research laboratory, as a result the War Surgery research laboratory was organized, which joined War Surgery department. The laboratory activity focused on in-depth study of problems of experimental surgery and wound ballistics, pathobiochemistry and pathomorphology of ballistic wound. In July 5, 2011, because of staffing measures the laboratory became part of a newly formed research department (experimental medicine) of the Research Center of the Academy. Then laboratory scientists proceeded with the development of traditional research directions: the study of modern wound ballistics, assessment of weapons damage and protective characteristics of individual body protective facilities (body armor, helmets), carried out in terms of War Surgery, as well as the study of a new type of weapon "nonlethal" weapon, the development of unbiased diagnostic tests and complication prognosis for casualties with multiple trauma, optimization and improvement of treatment policy under variety of conditions. At present, the research laboratory (War Surgery) specialists in cooperation with colleagues of War Surgery department are actively involved in the studies devoted to investigation of combat surgical trauma, effectiveness of modern individual armor, development of medical items and technologies treatment of casualties, taking an active part in the educational process.

Air gun wound: bihemispheric penetrating brain injury in a paediatric patient

Air guns are classified as low-velocity missiles and they usually considered safe and harmless. Despite that fact, air guns still can make serious or life-threatening injuries. Most of air gun injuries occur in paediatric population. A 2-year-old boy was shot in the forehead withan air gun accidentally. Skull radiography and non-contrast CT scan of the head were performed and showed penetrating bihemispheric brain injury from the left frontal to right occipital lobes at the level of the lateral ventricle with a metal-density foreign body at the right occipital. A projectile was successfully extracted via craniotomy, without complications. Air guns have the potential to cause fatal, life-threatening injury especially in children. Imaging is crucial for the evaluation of wound ballistics. Understanding about the mechanism of projectiles and wound ballistics is very helpful for radiologists to conceptualize these injuries when interpreting these cases. The role of radiology in ballistic wound cases is critical and important, both for clinical and forensic settings.

Experimental simulation in the modern wound ballistics

The main medical and biological aspects of conducting experiments in wound ballistics are considered. It is established, that currently in the studies devoted to the study of wound ballistics of firearms ammunition, the method of experimental modeling using simulators of various origins is widely used. A detailed description of the main simulators used by the leading domestic researchers is given now with a reflection of their positive and negative properties. The question of choice of an optimal laboratory animal for the solution of certain problems of ballistic experiment is considered. The world practice of studying the problems of wound ballistics has shown that the organs and tissues of a pig are the closest, of all known animals, to organs and tissues of man in a whole series of morphofunctional properties. The similarity in the structure of organs with a human can in some respects be quite striking, which is used in experimental surgery, especially for studying cardiovascular diseases and in organ transplantation studies. To transfer experimental data from a model (simulator) to a human, it is necessary to observe the main condition of modeling, namely, the principle of similarity of the experimental model to the process that should be reproduced. The problem of use of human corpses and corpse material is reflected, and also attention is paid to a need of observance of ethical rules and norms at carrying out this kind of experiments. It is concluded that despite the extensive list of available materials of non-biological origin, it is not possible to completely abandon the use of laboratory animals and corpse material at this stage of development of science, and their use should be carried out with mandatory compliance with certain norms of ethical and legal nature.