ABSTRACT
Objective To study the characteristics and mechanism of mine blast injury that wading in shoal of different depths through an animal model.Methods Ninety-six healthy adult New Zealand white rabbits weighing 2.19 ± 0.12kg were randomly divided into land group (n=16),limb wading group (n=16,the water depth reaching up the middle of the thighs of rabbits),and chest wading group (n=16,the water depth reaching up the thoracic xiphoid),stress test group (n=30),fake injury group (n=18).Punctiform burster was used to simulate landmine.Electric ignited the simulated mine away,causing landmine explosion injury to rabbits' one-sided hind limbs in upright state.High-speed photography was used to observe the movement of water accompanying the simulated mine explosion.Arterial blood serum markers of myocardial injury (CK-MB,cTnⅠ) and nerve injury (MBP,NSE) were detected before injury,and 3,6 and 12h after injury,and echocardiography,electrocardiography,CT,DSA and other examinations were implemented at the same time.Survival animals were killed 12h after injury for anatomy to record their injuries to the limbs and distant organs.The histopathological examination was done to define the injury characteristics furthen Results Feet and distal tibia were broken,and closed femoral fractures and arterial damage were often found away from the stump in limb wading group.This type of injury was different from the mop-like tearing tissue in the land group.Chest,abdominal organs and the brain,spinal cord injury in wading group were more severe than those in land group.There were higher incidences of chest,abdominal organs and spinal cord injury in chest wading Group.Conclusion The energy transfer of underwater explosion is affected by water depth and limbs or trunk mutually,which is an important mechanism of the complex and serious injuries in the wading group.The wading depth is an important factor affecting severity of the injury.Based on characteristics and unique mechanism of wading explosion,emergency treatment and the principle of early treatment for injury warrant further explored.