Feasability of wound tract modelling based on ballistic trauma

Authors:

  • David Andersson
  • Jens Danielsson
  • Tobias Gelius
  • Lydia Kahn

Publish date: 2024-10-14

Report number: FOI-R--5649--SE

Pages: 61

Written in: Swedish

Keywords:

  • wound ballistics
  • weapon trauma
  • modelling
  • small arms
  • human vulnerability

Abstract

In this report, we study the feasibility of developing quantitative models of wound tracts based on post mortem trauma data. The work presented herein was a joint venture between the Swedish Defense Research Agency (swe: Totalförsvarets Forskningsinstitut, FOI) and the National Board of Forensic Medicine (swe: Rättsmedicinalverket, RMV). We analyze data collected from autopsy documentation, full body computer tomography (CT), photographic documentation and crime site forensics. Projectiles of two calibers are studied, 9 mm and 7.62 mm, furthermore the wound tracts included in the study all either involve extensive tissue destruction on the liver or lungs. A total of 20 wound tracts are analyzed - five for each combination of caliber and organ involvement. The wound tracts are represented by three-dimensional volumes, och various parameters are introduced to quantify these, and to compare the wound tracts in the different combinations of caliber and organ involvement. Additionally, we include a comparison between the observed wound tracts and simulated wound tracts from ComputerMan. We find no statistically significant difference in any of the introduced parameters when comparing the two calibers - although we maintain the presumption that such difference should exist. We conclude that more data and more analysis is needed in order to quantify these differences - or conversely to support the claim that such difference, contrary to presumption, does not exist. We further conclude that ComputerMan to a high degree reproduces that wound tracts length, if not necessarily their volume or resulting trauma.