The injury mechanism of traumatic amputation
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Rankin, Iain
Nguyen, Thuy
McMenemy, Louise
Clasper, Jonathan
Masouros, Spyros
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Traumatic amputation has been one of the most defining injuries associated with explosive devices. An understanding of the mechanism of injury is essential in order to reduce its incidence and devastating consequences to the individual and their support network. In this study, traumatic amputation is reproduced using high-velocity environmental debris in an animal cadaveric model. The study findings are combined with previous work to describe fully the mechanism of injury as follows. The shock wave impacts with the casualty, followed by energised projectiles (environmental debris or fragmentation) carried by the blast. These cause skin and soft tissue injury, followed by skeletal trauma which compounds to produce segmental and multifragmental fractures. A critical injury point is reached, whereby the underlying integrity of both skeletal and soft tissues of the limb has been compromised. The blast wind that follows these energised projectiles completes the amputation at the level of the disruption, and traumatic amputation occurs. These findings produce a shift in the understanding of traumatic amputation due to blast from a mechanism predominately thought mediated by primary and tertiary blast, to now include secondary blast mechanisms, and inform change for mitigative strategies.
Date Issued
2021-04-15
Date Acceptance
2021-03-30
Citation
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2021, 9
ISSN
2296-4185
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Journal / Book Title
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
Volume
9
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Rankin, Nguyen, McMenemy, Clasper and Masouros. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
License URL
Sponsor
The Royal British Legion
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant Number
BMPF_P60304
EP/S021752/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
biomechanics
traumatic amputation
fracture
blast injury
military
mouse
soil
sand
CASUALTY
PATTERN
biomechanics
blast injury
fracture
military
mouse
sand
soil
traumatic amputation
0699 Other Biological Sciences
0903 Biomedical Engineering
1004 Medical Biotechnology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 665248