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A Ballistics Examination of Firearm Injuries Involving Breast Implants
Author(s) -
Pannucci Christopher J.,
Cyr Adam J.,
Moores Neal G.,
Young Jason B.,
Szegedi Martin
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.13589
Subject(s) - implant , ballistics , penetration (warfare) , saline , breast implant , medicine , poison control , surgery , materials science , engineering , projectile , anesthesia , medical emergency , metallurgy , operations research
This ballistics study examines whether saline breast implants can decrease tissue penetration in firearm injuries. We hypothesize that the fluid column within a saline breast implant can alter bullet velocity and/or bullet pattern of mushrooming. The two experimental groups included saline implants with 7.4 cm projection and a no implant group. The experimental design allowed the bullet to pass‐through an implant and into ballistics gel ( n = 10) or into ballistics gel without passage through an implant ( n = 11). Shots that passed through an implant had 20.6% decreased penetration distance when compared to shots that did not pass‐through an implant; this difference was statistically significant (31.9 cm vs. 40.2 cm, p < 0.001). Implant group bullets mushroomed prior to gel entry, but the no implant group mushroomed within the gel. Bullet passage through a saline breast implant results in direct bullet velocity reduction and earlier bullet mushrooming; this causes significantly decreased ballistics gel penetration.