The wound profile: a visual method for quantifying gunshot wound components.

A wound profile method is reported for predicting the wounding potential of ordnance in living animal tissue by shooting projectiles into 10% gelatin blocks kept at a temperature of 4 degrees C. Blocks (25 X 25 X 50 cm) were placed end to end so that the entire missile-gelatin interaction was captured. The penetration and fragmentation pattern in these blocks previously was found comparable to wounds in living swine leg muscle. The extent of the radial cracks in the gelatin approximated the temporary cavity size in swine muscle. Measurements from longitudinal sections of the blocks indicated the depth of penetration and the sizes of both the permanent and temporary cavities, and fragmentation patterns were mapped from biplanar X-rays of the blocks. The four wound components, penetration, fragmentation, permanent cavitation, and temporary cavitation, were diagrammed in what was termed a 'wound profile.' This profile should help characterize wounds caused by different missiles.