title: Ballistics and anatomical modelling - A review.
abstract: Ballistics is the study of a projectiles motion and can be broken down into four stages: internal, intermediate, external and terminal ballistics. The study of the effects a projectile has on a living tissue is referred to as wound ballistics and falls within terminal ballistics. To understand the effects a projectile has on living tissues the mechanisms of wounding need to be understood. These include the permanent and temporary cavities, energy, yawing, tumbling and fragmenting. Much ballistics research has been conducted including using cadavers, animal models and simulants such as ballistics ordnance gelatine. Further research is being conducted into developing anatomical, 3D, experimental and computational models. However, these models need to accurately represent the human body and its heterogeneous nature which involves understanding the biomechanical properties of the different tissues and organs. Further research is needed to accurately represent the human tissues with simulants and is slowly being conducted.
authors.affiliation: Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, University of Adelaide, Medical School North, Frome Road, Adelaide 5005, Australia. Electronic address: Caitlin.humphrey@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.affiliation: Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, University of Adelaide, Medical School North, Frome Road, Adelaide 5005, Australia. Electronic address: Jaliya.kumaratilake@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jaliya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumaratilake
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005389:Firearms; D044709:Forensic Ballistics; D006801:Humans; D008953:Models, Anatomic
keywords: 3D modelling; Ballistics; Firearm wounds; Forensic; Permanent cavity; Temporary cavity