Silicone in breast implants are bulletproof

Question

"Doctors noted that the silicone implant was likely responsible for deflecting the bullet’s trajectory – ultimately saving the woman’s life."

- CNN

Comments

The claim references an instance in where a woman was shot and fortunately survived due to the silicone breast implants in her chest. While there is truth in the fact that the woman was able to survive due to her silicone breast implants, it is not safe to state that silicone breast implants are bulletproof, as the claim can be very misleading due to the fact that silicone itself is not bulletproof.

In a study published by the National Library of Medicine, it is stated that "The impact of a gunshot is tied to a bullet's path and placement within the body.12 The extent of the resulting trauma is influenced by multiple factors, one of which being the physical characteristics of the tissue that has been penetrated.12 Thus, if there is some sort of barrier (eg, bone or implant) to slow or deflect a bullet, it may serve as a protective factor." This means that while the bullet was affected by the silicone and different parts of the patients body, the silicone itself within the breast implant is not bulletproof

In a YouTube video posted by TAOFLEDERMAUS, a test is conducted where different  rounds of bullet are shot at a standard silicone breast.  in the video we can see that silicone breast implants do affect that trajectory and impact, it is negligible at best so they are in fact NOT bulletproof,


sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9949879/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjHn3RPdGIg

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The claim that "silicone in breast implants are bulletproof" is misleading and not entirely true. The link to the article is from CNN, and the actual headline for that article is "Woman’s breast implant deflects bullet, saving her life".
So, technically, the woman's breast implant caught the bullet and saved her life. proving that silicone in breast implants is bulletproof isn't true because it happened by chance that the woman's breast implant caught the bullet and prevented further injuries. The article says that SAGE medical journal published a study that said the breast implant deflected the bullet away from the 30 year old woman's vital organs. It is important to note that SAGE has received funding from the FACS board of plastic surgeons. The rest of the article mainly talks about the medical technicalities. Along with how the woman's other injuries and how she's doing. All in all, people shouldn't think that getting and having silicone in breast implants will protect you from bullets.

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I completely agree; saying silicone implants are ‘bulletproof’ is a huge stretch. The original article makes it sound like they function like body armor when they might slow a bullet slightly in rare cases. The experiment by Dr. Adams is a great example—it shows that implants reduce penetration depth but don’t stop bullets. It’s wild how often headlines twist scientific findings into something dramatic. Did you find any cases where an implant prevented serious injury, or is it mostly just altering trajectory?

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The statement that “silicone breast implants are bulletproof” is incorrect and misleading. While there is one unusual case where an implant may have altered the trajectory of a bullet, this does not mean that breast implants are a reliable form of protection. As Dr. Adams points out, while implants might offer a very minor level of protection in rare scenarios, they are not designed to stop bullets or prevent serious injury.
Dr. Adams' Blog discussing the effects of breast implants on bullet penetration: Can a breast implant stop a bullet?
CNN Article covering the case where an implant may have deflected a bullet: CNN Article on Implants and Bullet Deflection

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Your claim is interesting, but I think the wording might be a bit misleading. The CNN article states that the silicone implant *deflected* the bullet, not that it made the woman completely bulletproof. There's a big difference between an implant altering a bullet’s trajectory and it actually stopping a bullet like a Kevlar vest would. Did you come across any additional studies or expert opinions on how silicone behaves under gunfire? It would be helpful to see whether this was a rare case or if silicone implants have a consistent ability to redirect bullets.

Answer 1

Silicone breast implants are not bulletproof, nor does the CNN article directly claim they are. As the article and the medical case study on the incident describe, the woman's breast implants saved her life not by stopping the bullet but by "altering bullet trajectory" so that it missed her vital organs.

There are several other instances of silicone implants saving women's lives in this way. One article in the peer-reviewed journal ePlasty discusses a study that found saline implants correlate with a "20.6% decrease in [bullet] penetration compared with that seen with no implant" and speculates that this percentage "may be further increased for silicone implants." This means that implants can provide a significant a protective benefit, though they are in no way guaranteed to stop or redirect a bullet's path.  

Comments

I like how you enforced that the linked article did not claim that breast implants were not bulletproof. The original posted claim didn't bring any truthful evidence from the article and made a quick claim. Your linked article showed that it is a very rare occurance and not a scienctific fact that breast implants are bulletproof.

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I appreciate your clear response. I can see how the truth could easily get lost in this story, because those details are important. For example, someone could see the claim "a breast implant saved my life from a gunshot" and assume that means that breast implants are bulletproof when they are in fact, not.

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I liked that you clarified the difference between the connotations of the words "bulletproof" and "changed the bullet's trajectory." This claim is extremely misleading to begin with, and analyzing small details such as these are very important when reading articles to discover the real information behind them. The CNN article never once claimed that breast implants are bulletproof, and they also never claimed this as a general situation. What I mean is, just because one woman was saved by her breast implants, doesn't mean that this exact scenario will occur every single time a woman with breast implants is shot in the chest.

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There are several other cases where silicone implants have helped protect women in a similar way. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal ePlasty found that saline implants were associated with a "20.6% decrease in [bullet] penetration compared with that seen with no implant" and suggested that silicone implants might offer even greater protection. While implants can provide some level of defense by altering a bullet's path, they are not guaranteed to stop or deflect bullets entirely. Silicone breast implants are not bulletproof, and the CNN article does not suggest that they are. Instead, as both the article and the medical case study explain, the woman's implants saved her life by changing the bullet's trajectory, causing it to avoid hitting vital organs.

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I like how you cleared up what actually happened in the article and went further to find an additional article about the relationship between the bullets and implants.

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You did a really good job citing exterior sources. The truth can easily be lost in translation, so good job debunking this headline.

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I like how you included trusted sources and didn't just call it false, or misleading without evidence. It is not true, but it is very exaggerated as it can possibly save lives, so it isn't completely false.

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I appreciate the stance you took on this fact. You found great research and a more likely scenario. Stating that the implant didn't full reflect the bullet, but rather it altered it makes a lot more sense. I think this topic is very interesting. You cleared this up in a well mannered way.

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I appreciate how you didn't just explain that the claim was false, but went in depth on what the article was actually talking about. I also liked how you cited additional articles, giving lots of information

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I really appreciated how you responded to this prompt. While silicone breast implants are not bulletproof, the evidence suggests they can offer a degree of protection by altering the trajectory of a bullet, potentially saving lives. However, it's important to note that this is not a guaranteed outcome, and the extent of protection can vary.

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I appreciate how you clarified that the linked article never claimed breast implants are bulletproof although they clearly, in some cases, protect . The original post didn’t provide any factual support from the article and made an unsubstantiated claim. The article demonstrated that such an occurrence is extremely rare and doesn't necessarily verify breast implants being bulletproof.

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This is a fantastic response to the claim that silicon breast implants are bulletproof. You immediately pointed out how it was not the article's misinformation but the readers poor interpretation and exacerbation of the facts. Then to further prove the misinformation you used an extremely credible source and explained why it was credible. Great job!!

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i appreciate this response. going back and dissecting the article to find that there was no evidence in the article stating that silicone implants are bulletproof. this article is spreading misinformation and could easily lead people to believe that silicone implants are a "safer" option. i liked that you included statistics that prove that no lives are actually saved by having silicone implants.

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I agree with you because when they went depth it gave me a better understanding about the article than actually reading it and why it was false. Especially, because there was no evidence that silicone impacts are actually bulletproof.

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I appreciate your excellent response to the claim that silicone breast implants are bulletproof. You effectively pointed out that the article's misinformation stems from readers' misinterpretation of the facts. While implants may alter a bullet's trajectory and offer some protection, this is not guaranteed, and the extent of protection varies, in the end, you'll get hurt in some way whether mentally or physically. Your use of credible sources to debunk the myth was impressive you highlighted the article spreads misinformation, potentially leading people to believe that silicone implants are a "safer" option. Amazing job!

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This was a very well done fact-check. You do a good job of knocking down the claim immediately, and supporting that with evidence from the article. You then go on to pull direct quotes from the article, which helps you even more. You end by saying they can provide a protective benefit, but that they are not bulletproof. Well done.

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This is a very good response as you were able to clearly differentiate the claims from this question post and the one in the actual article. It is important for audiences to understand the news in the way that is true and not misguided.

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Your response does a great job of breaking the article up and explaining what was implied. Often people will hear something and run with it, so this clarification can lead people to have a better understanding, especially those who didn't fact check themselves but just heard this.

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I believe that this is a great fact check. You choose the right sources and evidence to show this claim was false. You also made it every evident how misleading the article was.

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I like how you provided evidence as to how the sentace was misleading and gave percentage data to back it up.  The source you used as an alternative was also very reliable and gave better information to the reader then the first article given in the original statement.

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You did a really great job refuting the claim. It was really significant that you included good sources with direct quotes. This evidence really makes your claim strong, great job.

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This is a great factcheck. I liked how you proved that the original article used to make the claim doesn’t actually prove this claim. I liked how you explained that breast implants can cause a decrease in bullet penetration, but it doesn’t mean that it will successfully deter a bullet every single time. I liked how you directly quoted the articles you used in the text, and overall I think this is a great factcheck.

Answer 2

The article quoted for this claim does not directly claim that breast implants are bulletproof. Both the article and the medical case study describe the scenario as, "the breast implant altered the bullets trajectory" which made the bullet miss her vital organs, not that the breast implant was bulletproof. There are a few other instances of this happening to women with breast implants. A peer reviewed article called ePlasty shows a study that found saline implants can be correlated to a 20.6% decrease in penetration compared with that seen with no implant."20.6% decrease in penetration compared with that seen with no implant". This goes to show that implants can have a protective effect, but there is no guarantee that the implant will stop a bullet or change the trajectory of its path.

Comments

How would you rate the claim? False? True? Misleading? Always select a rating and mention it in your fact-check. Thanks!

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You're right that the phrasing can sometimes lead to misunderstandings about the protective capabilities of breast implants. The distinction between altering a bullet's trajectory and being bulletproof is crucial. It's interesting to see how studies like the one in ePlasty provide insight into the potential protective effects of saline implants, even if they don't guarantee safety.

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I like how you began by clarifying how the claim was exaggerating the events that happened. In addition to that, your use of a peer-reviewed article really helps to solidify your stance and show that breast implants help to decrease damage, but don't fully prevent it.

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I think your fact-check is very well-written. It's clear, straightforward, and well-supported. Overall—well done! I appreciate that your fact-check isn't incredibly long, but it still analyzes the arguments presented in the linked article and a similar related article. By putting the conclusions of the linked article and the supporting article in conversation, your argument against the supposed bullet-proof of certain breast implants is bolstered. Even so, if you wanted to make your argument even stronger, you might seek out a source that claims these implants are bullet-proof with evidence to support it. Then, you could seek to disprove this claim using your other findings.

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I appreciate your use of other studies to disprove this claim, rather than the anomaly incident that was reported on. I think it shows how cherry picking incidents to prove a claim Is misleading

Answer 3

With many situations of shootings used as an example in the Sage Medical Journal there was only one prime example that was focused on where a lady's implant stopped the velocity of a bullet and did end up saving her life. However, with that said she was still injured and the implant still took lots of damage and caused other issues as well. I do believe the word "bulletproof" implant is very much of a stretch and even CNN quotes, "The implant caused the change in the trajectory of the bullet" and actually misleads their own article away from the fact it completely stopped the bullet from entering the woman or harming her. The previously mentioned Sage Medical Journal also was incapable of settling down or mentioning specific details in any of the shootings mentioned and kept everything such as distance of the firearm and where exactly each shot hit.

Comments

I like how you explained that the implant didn't fully prevent the bullet from entering the women it just changed the direction which lead to less harm. I found the intital claim to be very exaggerated and misleading. The bullet still damaged her but the implant may have made it less servere and or life threatening. This did not equal a bullet proof implant.

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I like the emphasis on while it could prevent, it doesn’t mean theres an 100% chance of not being harmed just because of implants. I also like how you found a quote that conflicted with the title because changing the trajectory doesn’t mean the victim was completely safe and unharmed, it just didn't directly affect her organs.

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I liked how you used the source to point out its own misleading assertions. Something that would strengthen your argument even more is if you added another, more credible source like a medical journal or a police report discussing the ineffectiveness of breast implants in repelling bullets.

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I appreciated your research into the Sage Medical Journal incident as this provides a look into another similar situation that had a similar impact. You correctly identified the claim as exaggerated and misleading, as even the article and case claim that the implant changed the trajectory of the bullet rather than acting as bulletproof. I believe your analysis would be strengthened by the use of other credible sources such as medical research or a police report which explains more of the science behind the topics involved.

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i like that you did your research on this article and that you looked into Sage Medical Journal. they looked at other situations involving shooting and silicone implants, and not all implants were life saving. additionally, i like that you didn't diminish the incident and noted that she was still injured.

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This fact check is very clear and informative, I liked how you included an example of this situation, but was clear that it wasn't actually a bulletproof implant and it only miraculously saved her life. I think it would strengthen your point if you included more sources that explained more about why implants are not bulletproof (like what they're made of and how they work).

Answer 4

This is a case of lucky that the women who went through this got away with being lucky and with her having a breast implant she survived. I would say though this is a very misleading title. I would not say bullet proof but it did slow the bullet down. “The implant caused the change in the trajectory of the bullet,” - 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/21/americas/breast-implant-bullet-wound-wellness-intl-scli/index.html#:~:text=A%20woman%20who%20survived%20a,year%2Dold%20woman's%20vital%20organs.

Comments

I appreciate the inclusion of the source, however I feel like expanding on how the original claim was misleading and maybe another source added would help your claim. This is a solid response, but it could benefit from being fleshed out more.

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This factcheck was direct, though expanding it and possibly including what a breast implant is made out of and compare it to what is classified as bullet proof would definitely be an aid to your claim!

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This answer gets straight to the point while including all necessary details of the situation and your opinion. You could expand on how the claim is misleading and provide more context.

Answer 5

Silicone breast implants are in fact not bulletproof. According to the CNN article provided below it states that this story of the woman's experience of being shot was "one of only a handful of instances recorded in medical literature where a breast implant played a role in saving a patient’s life, and the first recorded instance of a silicone implant doing so". After stating that it was "the first recorded instance of a silicone implant to be a barrier for the bullet", the claim instantly jumped to "the silicone breast plant being bulletproof" 

Additionally, the CNN article states "The implant caused the change in the trajectory of the bullet". Although it may have changed the trajectory of the bullet, does not necessarily mean that all silicone breast implants will do the same. 

Said from certified plastic surgeon, Christopher Pannucci in his article Can a Breast Implant Stop a Bullet, "Breast implants were not intended to stop projectiles such as bullets or knives. A knife and/or bullet can easily penetrate through an implant.". Through his experiment he was able to see that even it could possibly deter the bullet's path, it is never guaranteed that every breast implant will change or stop the impact of a bullet. Proving that although this women had a lucky case, that not all silicone breast implants are not made to be bullet proof or are bullet proof. 

https://www.dr-adams.com/blog/can-a-breast-implant-stop-a-bullet/

Comments

I like that you found another more credible source to prove this wrong. Often, I think we get so caught up in trying to find topics that relate to a source that we don't just see if any articles by more credible people specifically prove something right or wrong. Like here, who would have known that there was a certified plastic surgeon who covered this topic? And it makes things a lot easier in the long run.

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I agree with your statement and love how you used an outside source that is not common within the comments. I had no idea there was an expirement that myth busted this statement. A barrier does not mean bulletproof and implants will not always protect one’s organs from a bullet. I agree that while it may have saved some, it is unsafe to say that implants are bulletproof as it is misleading to women.

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I completely agree with your claim, and appreciate that you included an additional source that proves your point. Though there was some degree of truth in the original claim, and that women was very lucky, it was very broad and cannot be believed in all scenarios. I also think experiments are great resources / evidence when trying to prove something testable like this.

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This fact check effectively debunks the claim that silicone breast implants are "bulletproof." The CNN article describes a rare case where a breast implant altered a bullet's trajectory, but this is the first documented instance of such an event, not a guarantee that implants will stop bullets. Expert plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Pannucci confirms that implants are not designed to stop projectiles like bullets, and while an implant might change the bullet’s path in rare cases, it cannot be relied upon for protection. To improve, the fact check could further highlight the risks of misunderstanding implants' purpose and emphasize that they should never be seen as a form of protection. Overall, this is a well-supported and clear response to the myth.

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I agree with your reasoning and I like that you cited another source to support it. Although the original argument had some merit and the woman in issue was truly fortunate, it was overly generic and could not be applied to all situations. Furthermore, I think experiments are useful instruments for offering reliable proof when examining assertions such as these.

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Your answer is detailed and addresses the claim well. I like how you included quotes and pointed out how there actually haven't been many cases of breast implants deflecting bullets or other weapons. I also like how you pulled information from a plastic surgeon and mentioned his experiment which I think effectively debunks this claim.

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I really liked that your fact check had multiple sources and clearly fact checked the claim. In the future I would see if you could add more sources!

Answer 6

The meaning of bulletproof is impenetrable to bullets. Bulletproof Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster According to CNN the implants altered the direction of the bullet, rather than stop It. (Meaning the bullet still passed through the implant) Leading the claim to be false.  A Ballistics Examination of Firearm Injuries Involving Breast Implants - Pannucci - 2018 - Journal of Forensic Sciences - Wiley Online Library In an experiment testing this claim, it was found that the implant did slow the round down. However, this source doesn't specify many important variables. Regardless, both articles clearly state that the implant had minimal influence on stopping the round. 

Comments

You explained this rather well and brought good sources to boot. The claim is a gross generalization, to be sure, but as you pointed out, it is just plain false. Even the breast implant that did save the woman's life was still penetrated and is inherently not bulletproof. I appreciate your thorough definition of terms and fact check.

Answer 7

This article claims silicone breast implants are bulletproof, even though it doesn’t explicitly back up that claim with concrete evidence, however it uncovers how implants have the potential to deflect or curve a bullet's tract. 

One of the procedures that plastic surgeons perform most frequently is breast augmentation using silicone implants, which surprisingly have saved women's lives over the years. For example, a 30 year old woman got shot and hit her bilateral breast implants. According to the report, the silicone implant was likely responsible for deflecting the bullet's trajectory and saving her life as Giancarlo McEvenue explains, “The only source of deflection is the patient’s silicone implant." That deflection is what was said to have saved the woman's life. “This implant overlies the heart and intrathoracic cavity and therefore likely saved the woman’s life.” Which again reinforces that the bullet could’ve caused a great deal of harm, but the implant alleviated some of the pressure. 

The article never directly claims or states that breast implants are bulletproof, it more so goes into statistics regarding the technology behind how breast implants work and how common they are. A different article by Christopher J. Pannucci et al agrees “It would be a mistake to believe that an implant could be a substitute for a bullet-proof vest.”

So yes, the silicon breast implant did take part in saving this woman's life, but not for the reason the title claims. They are not bulletproof, but in some cases have prevented more extensive injuries due to their ability to deflect the bullet's tract. 

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2513826X19898821

https://www.k-online.com/en/Media_News/News/The_unexpected_benefit_of_breast_implants

Comments

This is a good explanation and you offer a more reasonable claim - that breast implants have in some cases prevented more extensive injury. I appreciate your links to scientific articles to back the point! Your second link contains a very interesting experiment where people tested shooting a block of ballistic gel with and without a silicon breast implant in the way, and there was a 20% reduction in how far the bullet got into the ballistic gel! Very thoughtful sources.

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This is a great answer! I like how you were able to pull a part how the research does not necessarily imply that breast implants are bullet proof. It just states the story of how someone's life happened to be saved by it. I also like how you included other professional and scientifically-backed research to support your claim,  especially the one by Christopher J. Pannucci.

Answer 8

The statement itself is never proven to be correct in the CNN article, it is however, an extreme exaggeration of what happened. According to the CNN article, "The implant caused the change in the trajectory of the bullet." So while the statement claims that the implants are bulletproof, the actual article itself confirms that the implant deflected the bullet in a once in a lifetime situation, not that silicone implants are ALWAYS bulletproof, which they are not proven to be. 

Comments

Hi, I like your information I think it is good, I feel as though it could have been improved by citing you source instead of just quoting it

Answer 9

This claim is not true. The article listed a rare circumstance of a breast implant saving a women's life. The article link doesn't even claim that breastplants are bulletproof. She was extremely lucky to have to bullet not penetrate her actual body and orgrans. An article by CNN12 states "It's one of only a handful of instances recorded in medical literature in which a breast implant played a role in saving a patient's life." So no a breast implant is not a bulletproofing surgery. 

Source: https://cbs12.com/news/nation-world/womans-breast-implants-save-her-life-by-deflecting-bullet-after-being-shot-at-close-range 

Comments

I like how you got to the point of what the article says and doesn't say, because this allows readers to get a brief and quick understanding of what they are going to be reading.

Answer 10

Silicone breast implants are not designed to be bulletproof, and the CNN article doesn’t claim they are. Instead, both the article and the medical case study explain that the implants saved the woman’s life by changing the bullet’s path, causing it to avoid her vital organs. There are also other documented cases where silicone implants have saved lives in a similar way. For example, a study published in the journal ePlasty found that saline implants led to a “20.6% reduction in bullet penetration” compared to cases without implants, and the study suggests this protective effect could be even greater with silicone implants. While implants may offer some protection by altering or slowing a bullet’s trajectory, they are not guaranteed to stop or deflect a bullet completely. The Sage Medical Journal highlighted several cases of shootings, but only one prominent example where a woman’s implant reduced the velocity of a bullet, ultimately saving her life. However, despite this, she was still injured, and the implant sustained significant damage, causing additional complications. Referring to the implant as “bulletproof” is certainly an exaggeration. Even CNN, while quoting, “The implant caused the change in the trajectory of the bullet,” somewhat misrepresents the situation by downplaying the fact that the bullet did not completely stop but was redirected away from more critical areas. Furthermore, the Sage Medical Journal did not provide specific details about the shootings, such as the distance from which the firearms were discharged or the exact locations of the shots, leaving key aspects of the incidents unclear.