Relationship between bullet diameter and bullet defect diameter in human calvariums

Area of Science:

• Forensic pathology
• Biomechanics
• Trauma analysis

Background:

• Limited literature exists on the relationship between bullet diameter and cranial defect size.
• Bullet deformation is hypothesized to influence the resulting defect diameter.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of bullet deformation on bullet defect diameter in the human calvarium.
• To test the hypothesis that bullet deformation affects cranial defect size.

Main Methods:

• A controlled experiment was conducted using deforming and non-deforming projectiles of equal original mass and size.
• Bullet defect diameters in the human calvarium were measured.
• Statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test was performed.

Main Results:

• Mean defect size caused by non-deforming projectiles was significantly smaller than that caused by deforming projectiles.
• The p-value was 0.002 for both measurement methods, indicating statistical significance at a 5% confidence level.
• Bullet deformation was confirmed to influence bullet defect diameter.

Conclusions:

• Bullet deformation is a critical factor influencing the size of cranial defects.
• Findings support the hypothesis that deforming bullets result in larger calvarial defects.
• This has implications for forensic investigations and understanding ballistic trauma.