Mitigating blast injury

Roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices are the leading cause of death or injury for service personnel on operations in Afganistan and Iraq.  Yet today, thanks to improvements in both military protection and medical science, the prospects of survival from such injuries have never been higher.  That's why it is vital that we learn all we can about the effects of these devices and the injuries they cause to improve protection, mitigation, treatment and recovery.

Our research has led to:

  1. Changes in posture and placement of personnel in Army vehicles to reduce injury
  2. Informed DSTL floor mat design policy
  3. Informed NATO Task Force group concerning standards for accepting battlefield vehicles
  4. Altered assessment criteria for, and timing of, amputations following heel injury.
  5. Changes in clinical practice for pelvic injuries in Afghanistan and major civilian trauma centres
  6. Been used in a US $80M commercial development of military crash test dummies