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A study into the viability of Synbone® as a proxy for Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs for use with 5.56-mm open tip
Amy Pullen1, David C Kieser2, Gary Hooper2
1Department of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine, P O Box 4545, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand. a.pullen@dta.mil.nz.
Background:
In ballistic testing and forensic reconstruction, there is a need to use repeatable and consistent simulants. While synthetic bone is mechanically similar to human bone, it does not have the same viscoelastic properties. In high-energy impact such as ballistic impacts, bone acts as a stiff, brittle material and fails instantaneously. Therefore, a suitable simulant for use in ballistic testing should have comparable energy deposition to mammalian bones. This preliminary study aims to determine if Synbone® could be a viable proxy for Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs in ballistic testing.
Methodology:
Three thickness of Synbone® were embedded into 10% ballistic gelatin and shot using 5.56-mm ammunition. The models were then analysed to compare the Synbone® to a previous Sus scrofa (domesticus) rib study and focused on the number of fragments within the block, energy deposition, onset of yaw, angle of deviation, the temporary cavity as a percentage of the block and the depth to the temporary cavity centre, depth to maximum gelatin disruption and the permanent wound channel, including shear planes and wound tract diameter.
Results:
There was no significant difference in the metrics that were compared between Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs and the three thicknesses of Synbone®, except for a significant difference in the depth to maximum gelatin disruption between the 6 mm (p = 0.009) and 12 mm plate (p = 0.007) and the Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs.
Conclusion:
This study indicates that the 5-mm Synbone® plate is a suitable proxy for Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs for use with 5.56-mm OTM ammunition in ballistic testing.
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