ABSTRACT
Projectiles have such distinctive wounding characteristics that they deserve a separate category of trauma. Projectiles that impact bone with enough force to penetrate its surface generally will result in complete discontinuities, with both displacement and (usually) fracture lines. Some projectile trauma is so devastating that entire structures (e.g., skull) are shattered, requiring considerable reconstruction before analysis can begin. Although bullets are the projectiles most commonly causing this type of injury, pellets (from shotguns), shrapnel, arrows, spears, or any flying objects that impact bone with enough force can cause the types of trauma described in this chapter.
