title: Studies on the mechanisms of stress wave propagation in the chest subjected to impact and lung injuries.
abstract: To gain some quantitative understanding of the nature and properties of stress wave propagation and the pathological characteristics of lung injuries, pressure values at eight sites in the lungs during an impact period were recorded. The lung injury severity scores in the corresponding regions were determined in 11 dogs, which were subjected to blunt, left lateral impact at a velocity of 16.33 m/sec with a 24.5% compressive response. The results showed that the pressure value at the contact point was the greatest and that pressure decreased significantly from left side to right side. However, at the left hilum a second pressure peak developed. The pressure value at the contact point was 0.68 and 0.50 times greater than those at left lung and left hilum, respectively. The speed at which the pressure at the contact point rose was much faster than the speed at other points. The lung injury scores at different sites corresponded well with the pressure values (p < 0.001). The data indicated that the reflection and refraction of the stress waves result in the accumulation of forces at some points, transferring more energy to the tissues at those points. Therefore, the severity of injury at these points in these tissues was more severe.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Surgery, Third Military University, Daping, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D004285:Dogs; D055370:Lung Injury; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000503:physiopathology; D011312:Pressure; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013909:Thorax / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000503:physiopathology*