Gunshot, Penetrating, and Blast-Related Injuries to the Nervous System

Penetrating wounds involving the nervous system are very common in a forensic service and mostly involve projectiles fired by firearms, but other forms of penetrating injury to the nervous system include stab wounds; solid fragments from explosions; flying objects and glass in structural collapses, hurricanes, or tornadoes; industrial accidents; and occasionally novel situations, such as vehicular accidents or falls. Recent wars have brought the spectrum and tragedies of missile and fragment injuries to the evening news nearly every day. Explosions and blast injuries have become increasingly common as a part of warfare and urban terrorism, which will bring these cases to the forensic services and, with them, the challenges of interpretation.