Complex sentence: Also during this time, studies were carried out with animals placed at varying distances from a blast; they showed that protective gear could prevent lung injuries, suggesting that an impact to the outside of the chest wall was responsible for the internal lesions.
Split into simpler sentences: Also during this time, studies with animals placed at varying distances from a blast showed that protective gear could prevent lung injuries. These findings suggested that an impact to the outside of the chest wall was responsible for the internal lesions.