Transmission and reflection of high explosive shock waves in bone.

Abstract

AbstractClemedson C.‐J. and A. Jönsson. Transmission and rejection of high explosive shock waves in bone.Various kinds of bone such as femur, ribs with intercostal muscles, sternum with ribs and intercostal muscles and spinal column from ox, and femur, and femur + tibia with intact stifle joint from horse were exposed to high explosive air shock waves in a detonation chamber. The patterns of the pressure wave in the bone caused by the shock wave were recorded piezo‐electrically by means of a barium titanate pressure transducer. The transmitted wave consists of two parts. The first one, called the front pressure wave, is due entirely to the impact of the air shock wave on the front surface of the object. The second part is due mainly to the progressive loading of the static pressure in the air shock wave as it passes by the object. Due to the inhomogeneity of bone, the transmitted part of the incident shock wave is more or less changed since it is diffused and broken up by reflection and scattering. It is less changed in a long bone such as femur than in e. g. sternum or the spinal column. It is strongly changed by the passage between the two bones in a joint. Strong reflections occur at the bone surface. The velocity of the wave is about 3,500 m/sec. in the long bones. In the spinal column and sternum it is considerably lower and is dependent on the length of path covered.