Affiliations: [a] Research Institute of Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China | [b] State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Chongqing, China
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Bingcang Li, Research Institute of Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China. Tel.: +86 23 6875 7469;bcli1118@yahoo.com
Abstract: To establish a finite element (FE) model of the pig head
for simulating firearm wounds. An experimental study was carried out by
measuring impact load parameters from 17 fresh pig heads that were shot at
the right part of cranium by a standard 7.62 mm M43 bullet. FE analysis was
executed through the LS-DYNA code under impact loads similar to those
obtained from the experimental study. The residual velocity, the transferred
energy from the bullet to the cranium, and the surface area of the entrance
showed no statistical differences between the FE simulation and the
experimental study. However, the mean surface area of the exit wounds was
significantly larger than that of the entrance wounds in the experimental and
FE study. Although the results of FE analysis corresponded with the
experiment study, FE analysis further revealed that the stress zones were
mainly located at the impact region of the cranium, mainly located in
occipital lobe, frontal lobe and skull base of brain, with a lower speed of
stress distribution. The FE model was appropriate and conformed to the basic
principles of wound ballistics.
Keywords: Finite element analysis, firearm wound, pig head
