Femoral fractures produced by projectiles -- The effects of mass and diameter on target damage

Abstract

In order to determine the relative importance of projectile mass and diameter in the production of damage to human bone, a total of 560 embalmed human femurs were impacted by spheres of varying diameter and specific gravity. The results strongly support the conclusion that, at a given impact velocity, projectile diameter is a far greater factor influencing energy expenditure and thus damage to the target than the mass of the projectile. Thus a large, light-weight projectile will be more destructive to bone, and probably to all tissues, than a smaller but more massive one.