Today the number of American soldiers wounded in action in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds 9,700. This is a different kind of war, and so are the wounds it creates. More than 50 percent of the wounded have suffered musculoskeletal injuries, many made more challenging by the effects of improvised explosive devices or vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, which are distinct from domestic injuries. The following provide information on activities the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, the Orthopaedic Research Society, and other orthopaedic specialty societies are undertaking to improve the outcomes from wartime injuries.
Two symposia on Extremity War Injuries were held
in January of 2006 and 2007 to marshal the forces of military
and civilian orthopaedic surgeons, researchers and clinicians
to devise the best methods for treating wounds previously
unseen.
A media briefing on Modern Combat Orthopaedic Care is scheduled
on Wednesday, February 14 at 11 am in Room 23 C of the San
Diego Convention Center. Captain Covey will serve as moderator, and
be joined by Roy K. Aaron, MD, from Brown University, Commander Michael
T. Mazurek, MD, US Navy, from Naval Medical Center, San Diego, and
COL Roman A. Hayda, MD, US Army, from Brooke Army Medical Center.
"We see unique
war wounds predominantly due to high energy exploding ordnance
such as mortars, RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and IEDs (improvised
explosive devises), that are uncommonly seen in the civilian practice," Dr.
Covey explains. "Infections that may evolve from the repair of large
soft tissue and bony defects challenge us as we treat, transport and
continue more sophisticated care away from the battlefield. The fact
that our military surgeons often first operate on patients very near
the battlefield, and then transport them by air to progressive levels
of care across continents, presents unique challenges," Covey elaborates.
Learn more
Today the number of American soldiers wounded in action in Iraq and
Afghanistan exceeds 9,700. This is a different kind of war, and
so are the wounds it creates. More than 50 percent of the
wounded have suffered musculoskeletal injuries, many made
more challenging by the effects of improvised explosive
devices or vehicle-borne improvised explosive devises, which
are distinct from domestic injuries. Traditional wound management guidelines
simply fall short. To address this need, the American Academy
of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Orthopaedic Trauma
Association (OTA) have issued a special edition of the Journal of the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: "Extremity
War Injuries: State of the Art and Future Directions."
Outgoing AAOS President Dr. Stuart Weinstein, AAOS Research
Development Committee Outgoing Chairman Dr. Gunnar Andersson, NIAMS
Orthopaedic Program Director Dr. James Panagis, EWI Co-Chair Dr. Andrew
Pollak, and Incoming AAOS President Dr. Dick Kyle. Courtesy Erin Ransford
"It is imperative
we provide the best possible orthopaedic care for our
injured soldiers," said
Andrew N. Pollak, MD, orthopaedic surgeon, member of
AAOS’ Board
of Directors and chair of the Council of Musculoskeletal Specialty Societies/Board
of Specialty Societies. "Focused research will not only create an opportunity
to learn how to treat military-related musculoskeletal injuries more effectively
now, but can also be applied to the orthopaedic care of injured civilians
in the future."
Learn More
The Extremity War Injuries symposium and a special issue
of the Journal
of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons serve as a foundation
for the advocacy of continued and additional trauma research
funding. Partial symposium funding of the symposium was received
from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, the
Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, and the Orthopaedic
Research Society.
Learn More
The United States government
has already recognized the need for additional orthopaedic
research funding. The Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Appropriations
Bill established the Orthopaedic Trauma Research Program funded at
$7.5 million. The Orthopaedic Trauma Research Program is the first
program created in the Department of Defense allocated exclusively
to funding peer-reviewed intramural and extramural orthopaedic trauma
research. It is the only Department of Defense research laboratory
dedicated solely to improving combat casualty care. The intent of the
program is to foster collaboration between military and civilian orthopaedic
surgeons and researchers.
AAOS leaders extol troops, military surgeons: Orthopaedists extol military surgeons, nurses; offer support, gratitude
to soldiers
Military medicine wages its own war: U.S. military orthopaedists treat
thousands of war-wounded; trauma research may be 'silver-lining'
Orthopaedists serve in Iraq: Endure hardships, improve medical care in embattled country
