Influence of personal armor on distribution of entry wounds: lessons learned from urban-setting warfare fatalities.

Background: This study was undertaken to examine the distribution of entry wounds resulting from firearms and shrapnel in soldiers wearing military personal armor systems (MPAS) in low-intensity urban combat conditions.

Methods: Data were collected for a retrospective analysis on all combat fatalities sustained by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) between March 30, 2002, and April 22, 2002, during Defensive Shield Operation in the West Bank. Twenty-six of the 30 fatalities were evaluated in the Israeli National Center of Forensic Medicine.