Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Inj Prev. 2012 Apr;18(2):109-12. doi: 10.1136/ip.2010.031344. Epub 2011 Jul 18.
Improvised explosive devices have become the characteristic weapon of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. While little can be done to mitigate against the effects of blast in free-field explosions, scaled blast simulations have shown that the combat boot can attenuate the effects on the vehicle occupants of anti-vehicular mine blasts. Although the combat boot offers some protection to the lower limb, its behaviour at the energies seen in anti-vehicular mine blast has not been documented previously.
The sole of eight same-size combat boots from two brands currently used by UK troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were impacted at energies of up to 518 J, using a spring-assisted drop rig.
The results showed that the Meindl Desert Fox combat boot consistently experienced a lower peak force at lower impact energies and a longer time-to-peak force at higher impact energies when compared with the Lowa Desert Fox combat boot.
This reduction in the peak force and extended rise time, resulting in a lower energy transfer rate, is a potentially positive mitigating effect in terms of the trauma experienced by the lower limb.
Currently, combat boots are tested under impact at the energies seen during heel strike in running. Through the identification of significantly different behaviours at high loading, this study has shown that there is rationale in adding the performance of combat boots under impact at energies above those set out in international standards to the list of criteria for the selection of a combat boot.
简易爆炸装置已成为伊拉克和阿富汗冲突中的标志性武器。虽然在自由场爆炸中几乎无法减轻爆炸的影响，但经过缩放的爆炸模拟表明，作战靴可以减轻反车辆地雷爆炸对车辆乘员的影响。虽然作战靴为下肢提供了一定的保护，但以前没有记录过其在反车辆地雷爆炸中所承受的能量下的行为。
使用弹簧辅助跌落装置，对来自两个目前在伊拉克和阿富汗部署的英国军队使用的品牌的 8 只相同尺寸的作战靴的鞋底进行了高达 518 J 的能量冲击。
结果表明，与洛瓦沙漠狐作战靴相比，迈因德尔沙漠狐作战靴在较低的冲击能量下始终经历较低的峰值力，而在较高的冲击能量下则经历较长的峰值力时间。
这种峰值力的降低和上升时间的延长，导致能量传递率降低，这是下肢所受创伤方面的潜在积极缓解作用。
目前，作战靴在脚跟撞击时的冲击能量下进行测试。通过在高负载下识别出明显不同的行为，本研究表明，在国际标准规定的能量之上对作战靴进行冲击性能测试，并将其纳入作战靴选择标准的理由充分。
