Abstract
In recent conflicts, blast injury from landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has been the main mechanism of wounding and death. When a landmine or IED detonates under a vehicle (an under-body blast), the seat acceleration rapidly transmits a high load to the pelvis of the occupants, resulting in torso and pelvic injury. Pelvic fractures have high mortality rates, yet their injury mechanism has been poorly researched. Three (3) fresh-frozen male pelvic specimens were tested under axial impact loading. The pelvis was impacted mounted upside down by dropping a 12 kg mass at target impact velocities ranging from 1 to 8.6 m/s with time to peak velocity ranging from 3.8 to 5.8 ms. Resulting fractures were broadly categorized as involving a bilateral pubis rami fracture, a bilateral ischium fracture, and sacroiliac joint disruption. The study provides insights into the type and severity of pelvic injury that may occur over a range of under-body blast (UBB)-relevant loading profiles.
Issue Section:
Technical Brief
References
1.
Ramasamy
,
A.
,
Hill
,
A. M.
,
Hepper
,
A. E.
,
Bull
,
A. M.
, and
Clasper
,
J. C.
, 2009
, “
Blast Mines: Physics, Injury Mechanisms and Vehicle Protection
,” J. R. Army Med. Corps.
,
155
(4
), pp. 258
–264
.10.1136/jramc-155-04-062.
Ramasamy
,
A.
,
Masouros
,
S. D.
,
Newell
,
N.
,
Hill
,
A. M.
,
Proud
,
W. G.
,
Brown
,
K. A.
,
Bull
,
A. M. J.
, and
Clasper
,
J. C.
, 2011
, “
In-Vehicle Extremity Injuries From Improvised Explosive Devices: Current and Future Foci
,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc., B
,
366
(1562
), pp. 160
–170
.10.1098/rstb.2010.02193.
Webster
,
C.
,
Clasper
,
J.
,
Bull
,
A. M. J.
,
Clasper
,
J.
, and
Mahoney
,
P. F.
, 2006
, “
Pelvic Blast Injury
,” Blast Injury Science and Engineering. A Guide for Clinicians and Researchers
,
Springer International
,
Cham, Switzerland
, pp. 255
–259
.4.
Eastridge
,
B. J.
,
Mabry
,
R. L.
,
Seguin
,
P.
,
Cantrell
,
J.
,
Tops
,
T.
,
Uribe
,
P.
,
Mallett
,
O.
, et al., 2013
, “
Death on the Battlefield (2001-2011): Implications for the Future of Combat Casualty
,” Care. J. Trauma Acute Care Surg.
,
73
(6
), pp. S431
–S437
.10.1097/TA.0b013e3182755dcc5.
Bird
,
S.
, and
Fairweather
,
C.
, 2009
, “
IEDs and Military Fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan
,” RUSI J.
,
154
(4
), pp. 30
–38
.10.1080/030718409032552456.
Funk
,
J. R.
,
Crandall
,
J. R.
,
Tourret
,
L. J.
,
MacMahon
,
C. B.
,
Bass
,
C. R.
,
Patrie
,
J. T.
,
Khaewpong
,
N.
, and
Eppinger
,
R. H.
, 2002
, “
The Axial Injury Tolerance of the Human Foot/Ankle Complex and the Effect of Achilles Tension
,” ASME J. Biomech. Eng.
,
124
(6
), pp. 750
–757
.10.1115/1.15146757.
Bailey
,
A.
,
Christopher
,
J.
,
Henderson
,
K.
,
Brozoski
,
F.
, and
Salzar
,
R. S.
, 2003
, “
Comparison of Hybrid-III and PMHS Response to Simulated Underbody Blast Loading Conditions
,” Proceedings of IRCOBI Conference
, Gothenburg, Sweden, pp. 158
–171
.8.
Singleton
,
J. A.
,
Gibb
,
I. E.
,
Hunt
,
N. C.
,
Bull
,
A. M.
, and
Clasper
,
J. C.
, 2013
, “
Identifying Future 'Unexpected' Survivors: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Fatal Injury Patterns in Victims of Improvised Explosive Devices
,” BMJ Open
,
3
(8
), p. e003130
.10.1136/bmjopen-2013-0031309.
Ramasamy
,
A.
,
Evans
,
S.
,
Kendrew
,
J. M.
, and
Cooper
,
J.
, 2012
, “
The Open Blast Pelvis: The Significant Burden of Management
,” J. Bone Jt. Surg., Br. Vol.
,
94-B
(6
), pp. 829
–835
.10.1302/0301-620X.94B6.2835910.
Pietsch
,
H. A.
,
Bosch
,
K. E.
,
Weyland
,
D. R.
,
Spratley
,
E. M.
,
Henderson
,
K. A.
,
Salzar
,
R. S.
,
Smith
,
T. A.
,
Sagara
,
B. M.
,
Demetropoulos
,
C. K.
,
Dooley
,
C. J.
, and
Merkle
,
A. C.
, 2016
, “
Evaluation of WIAMan Technology Demonstrator Biofidelity Relative to Sub-Injurious PMHS Response in Simulated Under-Body Blast Events
,” Stapp Car Crash J.
,
60
, pp. 199
–246
.10.4271/2016-22-000911.
Giannoudis
,
P. V.
,
Grotz
,
M. R. W.
,
Tzioupis
,
C.
,
Dinopoulos
,
H.
,
Wells
,
G. E.
,
Bouamra
,
O.
, and
Lecky
,
F.
, 2007
, “
Prevalence of Pelvic Fractures, Associated Injuries, and Mortality: The United Kingdom Perspective
,” J. Trauma: Inj., Infect., Crit. Care
,
63
(4
), pp. 875
–883
.10.1097/01.ta.0000242259.67486.1512.
Sathy
,
A. K.
,
Starr
,
A. J.
,
Smith
,
W. R.
,
Elliott
,
A.
,
Agudelo
,
J.
,
Reinert
,
C. M.
, and
Minei
,
J. P.
, 2009
, “
The Effect of Pelvic Fracture on Mortality After Trauma: An Analysis of 63,000 Trauma Patients
,” J. Bone Jt. Surg. Am.
,
91
(12
), pp. 2803
–2810
.10.2106/JBJS.H.0059813.
Pearce
,
A. P.
,
Bull
,
A. M. J.
, and
Clasper
,
J. C.
, 2017
, “
Mediastinal Injury is the Strongest Predictor of Mortality in Mounted Blast Amongst UK Deployed Forces
,” Injury
,
48
(9
), pp. 1900
–1905
.10.1016/j.injury.2017.07.01914.
Danelson
,
K.
,
Watkins
,
L.
,
Hendricks
,
J.
,
Frounfelker
,
P.
, WIAMan Case Review Team
,
Pizzolato-Heine
,
K.
,
Valentine
,
R.
, and
Loftis
,
K.
, 2018
, “
Analysis of the Frequency and Mechanism of Injury to Warfighters in the Under-Body Blast Environment
,” Stapp Car Crash J.
,
62
, pp. 489
–513
.10.4271/2018-22-001415.
Bailey
,
A. M.
,
Christopher
,
J. J.
,
Brozoski
,
F.
, and
Salzar
,
R. S.
, 2015
, “
Post Mortem Human Surrogate Injury Response of the Pelvis and Lower Extremities to Simulated Underbody Blast
,” Ann. Biomed. Eng.
,
43
(8
), pp. 1907
–1917
.10.1007/s10439-014-1211-516.
Bailey
,
A. M.
,
Christopher
,
J. J.
,
Salzar
,
R. S.
, and
Brozoski
,
F.
, 2015
, “
Comparison of Hybrid-III and Postmortem Human Surrogate Response to Simulated Underbody Blast Loading
,” ASME J. Biomech. Eng.
,
137
(5
), p. 051009
.10.1115/1.402998117.
Salzar
,
R. S.
,
Spratley
,
E. M.
,
Henderson
,
K. A.
,
Greenhalgh
,
P. C.
,
Zhang
,
J. Z.
,
Perry
,
B. J.
, and
McMahon
,
J. A.
, 2021, “The Mechanical Response and Tolerance of the Anteriorly-Tilted Human Pelvis Under Vertical Loading,” Ann. Biomed. Eng.
, 49(11), pp. 2975–2989.10.1007/s10439-020-02634-618.
Christopher
,
J. J.
, 2016
, Biomechanical Response of the Human Pelvis: A High-Rate Vertical Loading Pilot Study
,
School of Engineering and Applied Science. University of Virginia
, Charlottesville, VA, p. 65
.19.
Yoganandan
,
N.
,
Moore
,
J.
,
Arun
,
M. W. J.
, and
Pintar
,
F. A.
, 2014
, Dynamic Responses of Intact Post Mortem Human Surrogates From Inferior-to-Superior Loading at the Pelvis, Stapp Car Crash J
., 58, pp. 123–143.10.4271/2014-22-000520.
Reed
,
M. P.
, and
Ebert
,
S. M.
, 2013
, The Seated Soldier Study: Posture and Body Shape in Vehicle Seats
,
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
, Ann Arbor, MI, p. 120
.Copyright © 2024 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
