Evaluation of trauma patterns in blast injuries using multiple correspondence analysis

Abstract

A B S T R A C TAnthropology features little in published literature about blast injuries. Contributions through case studies and experimental research are beginning to expand our understanding of the effect these injuries have on the human skeleton. This study examines blast injury and gunshot related fractures through multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) with the aim of establishing injury patterns between the two types of trauma. Using a sample of 491 individuals from Bosnia, MCA is employed to identify which body regions differentiate between blast or gunshot related fractures. Cranial fractures were more closely associated with gunshot related cases. Post-cranial fractures were associated with blast-related cases. A differentiation in post-cranial and cranial fractures between gunshot and blast related cases was revealed in the samples. The high prevalence of extremity trauma in blast is similar to previous work, but the smaller amount of cranial blast-related fractures differs from previous studies and from what is found in gunshot-related cases. Differentiation of blast and gunshot wound injuries can be made on the human skeleton and can be used to possibly interpret injury mechanism in large skeletal assemblages as well as single cases.

Blast and Aircraft Crash Trauma: A Selection of WWII Cases from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory*†

“…The explosions created by these devices are characterized by over-pressurized blast waves that radiate from the blast site upon detonation, resulting in air compression and a momentary, but significant, shift in atmospheric pressure. The resulting injuries arising from blast events are typically categorized as primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary trauma (17,18,31,32).…”

“…Primary blast trauma is associated with the blast wave and often is the cause of bodily amputation (17,18,31,32). Secondary blast trauma is associated with projectile trauma from shrapnel or fragmented debris thrown outward at high velocities by the ordnance.…”

“…This type of traumatic injury results in blunt force trauma and may appear similar to an aircraft crash event. Quaternary blast trauma is a catch-all term for other effects not described above, such as burns to the body, and is unlikely to result in identifiable skeletal trauma (31,32). Therefore, quaternary trauma is not considered relevant in this study.…”

“…Additionally, bodies may be impacted by multiple categories of blast trauma, resulting in complicated trauma patterns on skeletal remains that may preclude identification of a single blast trauma category. Furthermore, clinical researchers typically distinguish blast trauma based on fracture patterns and proximity to shrapnel or blast waves (31,32). These studies often emphasize impacts to a fleshed body, rather than to skeletal remains.…”

Blast injury prevalence in skeletal remains: Are there differences between Bosnian war samples and documented combat-related deaths?

“…The injuries resemble ballistic injuries, with blunt or ballistic penetration injuries [13][14][15]. Tertiary injuries are characterised by the movement of the body and its subsequent impact on structures, resulting in blunt injuries [12,[16][17][18], resembling falls from height or the impact of an object on a bone [19]. Quaternary blast injuries are those which do not fall into the previous categories, such as burns.…”