Effects of kinetic energy and firearm-to-target distance on fracture behavior in flat bones.

firearm-to-target distance forensic anthropology fractography gunshot trauma kinetic energy trauma analysis

Journal

Journal of forensic sciences

ISSN: 1556-4029

Titre abrégé: J Forensic Sci

Pays: United States

ID NLM: 0375370

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
22 Jan 2024

Historique:

revised: 02 01 2024

received: 04 09 2023

accepted: 02 01 2024

medline: 22 1 2024

pubmed: 22 1 2024

entrez: 22 1 2024

Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

This research implements a fractographic approach to investigate the relationships between kinetic energy, firearm-to-target distance, and various aspects of fracture behavior in gunshot trauma. Gunshot experiments were performed on pig scapulae (n = 30) using three firearms generating different muzzle (initial) kinetic energies, including a 0.32 pistol (103 J), 0.40 pistol (492 J), and 0.308 rifle (2275 J). Specimens were shot from two distances: 10 cm (n = 15) and 110 cm (n = 15). Features evaluated in fractographic analysis such as cone cracks, radiating cracks, crack branching points, and circumferential cracks could be easily identified and measured in flat bones and allowed for statistical comparison of crack propagation behavior under different impact conditions. Higher-energy bullets produced more radiating cracks, more crack branching points, and longer fracture lengths than lower-energy bullets. Distance had no significant effect on fracture morphology at the distances tested. That quantitative measures of crack propagation varied with energy affirms that kinetic energy transfer is important in determining the nature and extent of fracture in gunshot wounds and suggests it may be possible to infer relatively high- versus relatively low-energy transfer using these features. Ranges obtained with the three firearms exhibited considerable overlap, however, indicating that other variables such as bullet caliber, mass, and construction influence the efficiency of energy transfer from bullet to bone. Therefore, fracture morphology cannot be used to identify a specific firearm or to directly reconstruct the muzzle (initial) kinetic energy in forensic cases.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15462 PMID: 38251809

pubmed: 38251809

doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.15462

doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

Informations de copyright

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