Wound ballistics of gunshot injuries to the head and neck
G. R. Holt and G. Kostohryz Jr
It is important for the trauma surgeon to understand the basic principles
of terminal gunshot ballistics and the study of the projectile's effect on
striking soft tissue. The amount of kinetic energy dissipated to the tissue
is directly related to the mass and velocity of the projectile as follows:
K = MV2/2. Doubling the velocity quadruples the energy, while doubling the
mass only doubles the energy. A temporary tissue cavity is produced as the
striking projectile compresses the surrounding tissue; the higher the
energy release, the more extensive the inapparent compressive damage. The
permanent cavity that remains is the result of extrusion of tissue from the
pathway of the projectile. The higher the velocity, the higher the
likelihood of extensive damage. If the missile expands or fragments within
the tissues, more damage will occur.