Early changes in capillary flow and transport following missile wounds

Abstract

The local hemodynamic response to missile wounds in soft tissue has been studied on 31 mongrel dogs with a double isotope clearance technique using sodium iodide (Na 131I) and xenon ( 133Xe). Three different impact velocities with a small spherical projectile were used to vary the amount of energy absorbed by the tissues. The isotope was injected at a constant depth but at varying distances from the wound site. The flow responses (i.e., xenon clearance) were quite variable, but there was a tendency toward greater responses between 35 and 45 mm from the wound channel after high-velocity missile wounds. The same tendency was seen more clearly for iodide clearance values. The size of the damage by missiles hitting with the three velocities used is discussed. Because of irregularities in the volume of tissue absorbing the energy, variations in individual animals could be expected. However, the flow pattern recorded with the isotope clearance technique coincides in both time and localization with the hemodynamic and angiographic findings after wounds caused in a similar way and reported previously.