[Gunshot wounds of the head in soldiers wearing military helmets-- general aspects and experiments and observations on the biomechanics and wound morphology].

With respect to wound ballistics, the situation is different if the person wearing a military helmet suffers head injuries from a bullet. The mechanisms of injury were investigated in four experimental series and supplemented by a case history. The study showed surprising results: in the majority of cases, the helmet does not protect the wearer, but instead intensifies the damage caused by the bullet. The reasons for this phenomena are changes in the stability of the projectile and deformation of or damage to the bullet. All of these mechanisms result in the bullet striking the tissue with higher energy. In this investigation, Kevlar helmets were also tested, which are not penetrated by 9 X 19 mm parabellum bullets. Even so, however, severe injuries of the skull and brain can occur because the projectile causes intensified impressions on the skull under the helmet and, in addition, an acceleration of the head.