• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Infection, Wound Management and Amputee Care Critical to Improving Military Medical Treatment

Posted on: Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 09:01 CST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Because thousands of American soldiers have been injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, understanding more about their treatment and care is crucial. While many injuries faced during combat are similar to those encountered in civilian populations, the battlefield environment also presents distinct challenges. Targeted research on how to reduce and prevent common orthopaedic trauma injuries, ensure the best outcomes, and establish best practices is vital to U.S. troops' effectiveness and well-being. To help define the appropriate research topics, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) -- in partnership with the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) -- has organized the "Extremity War Injuries (EWI): Current, State of the Art, and Future Directions" Symposium, which will examine current knowledge on managing such injuries.

Since injured soldiers are returning with unique battle wounds and infections due to different injury patterns, bacteria and environments, the EWI Symposium -- set for Jan. 25 - 27, 2006 at the Mandarin Hotel, Washington, DC -- will address broad areas of commonly encountered combat-related clinical problems. Sessions include reviewing the current techniques, practices, and/or limitations of wound management, antibiotics and infection, stabilization of long bones, segmental bone defects and amputee care. The Symposium's goal is to prioritize future military orthopaedic trauma research topics and determine the next steps to understand more about extremity war injuries. With the establishment of the FY2006 Defense Appropriations bill -- which includes approximately $7.5 million to develop the Orthopaedic Trauma Research Program at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (ISR) in Ft. Sam Houston, Tex. -- the determination of orthopaedic research priorities is now critical.

"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-elect 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."

Topics featured at the EWI Symposium include: -- Amputee Care Limb loss is not an uncommon combat-related injury. In this day and age, more amputees are able to live fully active, functional lives. Looking down the horizon at prosthetic development and restoration of limb function is key to amputee care. Exploring aggressive rehabilitation, early prosthetic fitting and computer-assisted design will allow for better restoration and overall care of amputees. -- Antibiotics and Infection Because of the complexity of injuries incurred during battle, infections are common. Prevention of orthopaedic infection has been a high priority in the planning and execution of the medical care provided to combat casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. Given the unique environment in which war injuries have occurred, reviewing the development of antibiotic-resistant organisms, current recommendations for antibiotic treatment and protocols for the management of infection is vital. -- Segmental Bone Defects The skeleton has an intrinsic capacity to repair itself, which is best observed in the healing of fractured bones. However, when bone defects occur as a result of severe injury, healing may not result spontaneously. Exploring the scope of injuries and reconstructive challenges, as well as advancements in technology to help fracture healing is central to achieving the best possible outcomes for our soldiers. -- Stabilization of Long Bones Extremity injuries are among the most common injuries seen in modern warfare. Blast injuries -- caused by the detonation of explosives -- and high-impact gunshot wounds commonly result in unstable open fractures. Reviewing the scope of wounds, stabilization and treatment options will help to understand how to manage these types of injuries. -- Wound Management Combat casualty care is a dynamic process that continues to evolve. Understanding the types of injuries incurred, frequency, timing of treatment and location of care are important to managing combat-related wounds. It is essential to examine the safe "window" for treating specific extremity war injuries -- particularly if it is unsafe to move a patient for a period of time or if an operating room is distant to the site of injury -- to determine the best course of action.

The EWI Symposium is a stepping stone to defining knowledge gaps and determining research topics about extremity war injuries. Findings will appear in an upcoming supplement to the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). An educational session summarizing Symposium highlights will also be featured at the Academy's 73rd Annual Meeting at McCormick Place in Chicago on March 22-26, 2006.

An orthopaedic surgeon is a physician with extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of non-surgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.

The Orthopaedic Trauma Association ( http://www.ota.org/ ) is a not-for- profit organization that promotes excellence in orthopaedic trauma patient care at hospitals and trauma centers throughout North America. Its members provide worldwide leadership through education, research and patient advocacy.

With 28,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ( http://www.aaos.org/ ) or ( http://www.orthoinfo.org/ ), is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade ( http://www.usbjd.org/ ), the global initiative in the years 2002-2011 to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health to stimulate research and improve people's quality of life. President Bush has declared the years 2002-2011 National Bone and Joint Decade in support of these objectives. The Academy's 73rd Annual Meeting is being held March 22-26, 2006 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

CONTACT: Kory D'Angelo, +1-847-384-4034, dangelo@aaos.org , or CarlyeFallon, +1-847-384-4035, fallon@aaos.org , both of AAOS

Web site: http://www.aaos.org/http://www.orthoinfo.org/http://www.usbjd.org/

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category