A high-frequency lung injury mechanism in blunt thoracic impact.
When a mechanical load is applied very rapidly to the thoracic wall, part of the internal damage is suspected to be due to a "high-frequency" injury mechanism, that is, a phenomenon in which waves are involved. This paper addresses a specific high-frequency mechanism for lung injury in which a stress wave is generated through rapid acceleration of the body wall. Displacement-related injuries, which are rather "low-frequency" phenomena, are not considered. The present work was done in the context of assessing behind armor blunt trauma (injury to thoracic organs occurring when a bullet is stopped by a body armor) through mathematical modeling. One aspect of the thorax response to high-speed blunt impact and an associated injury mechanism are investigated based on an idealized model of thorax and a set of computations presented in previous papers. The injury mechanism considered elucidates a possible mathematical relationship between the acceleration at the surface of the thoracic wall and the occurrence of lung injury.
Grimal
Quentin
Q
CNRS UMR 7052 B2OA, Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris XII-Val de Marne, 61 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Creteil, Cédex, France.
Naïli
Salah
S
Watzky
Alexandre
A
D003198:Computer Simulation; D004548:Elasticity; D004735:Energy Transfer; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D011312:Pressure; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014732:Vibration / Q000009:adverse effects; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*