[Pathophysiologic reactions in sheep to blast waves from detonation of aerosol explosives]

In the controlled field experiments 18 sheep were exposed to the detonation of the aerosol explosive generating the blast wave necessary to produce death in 50% of cases. The time of death and characteristic damages on the predilection sites of some organs are interpreted as blast type injuries. General response of the body to blast wave was similar to the one produced by other etiological factors. A special characteristic of the experiment was the frequency and severity of pathologic changes on the internal organs of the chest and abdomen. According to the authors' opinion the severity and type of pathologic changes could be explained by effects of the complex blast wave generated by detonation of the aerosol explosives.

[Morphologic characteristics of surgically removed menisci]

The authors have analysed histologically and histochemically 88 surgically removed damaged menisci of which 8 were studied by the electron microscope. Of the total number of the analysed cases only 20 had the anamnesis specific for meniscus trauma while in the rest meniscus was damaged spontaneously. The age of the operated patients ranged from 16 to 50 years, the majority being from 20 to 25 years old. The authors have reported that the morphological examinations of the damaged menisci have shown that the main cause of the ruptured menisci was destruction of the collagenous fibres of the menisci and severe mucoid degeneration of their tissues with the increasing number of the elastic fibres at the site of the destructed collagenous fibres. The histochemical examinations have shown that the basic meniscus substance contains chodroitin sulfate mucopolysaccharides which, according to their opinion, were secreted by the choindroid cells.