Wounding patterns and human performance in knife attacks: optimising the protection provided by knife-resistant body armour

Abstract

Anti-slash protection is required for the arms, neck, shoulders, and thighs. The clinical experience of knife-attack victims provides information on the relative vulnerabilities of different regions of the body. It is anticipated that designing a tunic-type of Police uniform that is inherently stab and slash resistant will eventually replace the current obvious and often bulky extra protective vest. Attempts at making a combined garment will need to be guided by ergonomic considerations and field testing. A similar anatomical regional risk model might also be appropriate in the design of anti-ballistic armour and combined anti-ballistic and knife-resistant armour.

Fibres and Textiles

“…Therefore, apparel may be damaged during a slash attack. Human performance trials using an instrumented blade (n ¼ 87 assailants) indicated that the maximum force for a slash attack was 212 N (mean ¼ 107 N), and the maximum velocity was $ 15 m/s (mean ¼ 5.84 m/s) (Bleetman et al, 2003). Similar velocities have been reported for stab attacks, but much higher forces occur during stabbing (Horsfall et al, 1999;Kemp et al, 2009).…”

“…) 2003; Fenne, 2005). Relatively little literature includes discussions of injuries and fatalities due to slash attacks; however, injured sites include the face/head/neck complex, the upper limbs, thighs and trunk (Ong, 1999;Bleetman et al, 2003). Therefore, apparel may be damaged during a slash attack.…”

Evaluation of manner of death determination parameters in deaths related to sharp force injury

“…İntiharlarda el bileği ve kollarda, cinayetlerde göğüs ve üst ekstremitede daha sık yaralanma görüldüğü bildirilmekte (21,33), ayrı-ca gövde ön yüz, boyun ve ön kollarda yer alan yaralanmaları ağırlıklı olarak intiharı; kafa, kol, el, ense ve vücut arka yüzde tespit edilen kesici alet yaralanmaları ise cinayeti düşündürmektedir (7,11,12,18,33,42). Ayrıca boyundaki kesici alet yaralanmaları tek taraflı ise intiharı, çift taraflı ise cinayeti akla getirmektedir (16).…”

A Novel Method for the Analysis of Slash Cuts to Clothing

“…Two studies by Bleetman et al [4,5] indicates that slash wounds are more common than stab type wounds on the scalp, face, neck, limbs and buttocks and therefore many injuries caused by edged weapons seen in clinical practice are from slashing attacks rather than from stabbings. Bleetman adds that approximately one third of assault victims attending hospital are injured by an assailant using a knife.…”

“…Bleetman adds that approximately one third of assault victims attending hospital are injured by an assailant using a knife. Most of the patients presented superficial slash type wounds [5].…”