Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 2013; 80(3):197-202 | DOI: 10.55095/achot2013/031

Management of War Orthopaedic Injuries in Recent Armed ConflictsCurrent concepts review

M. Frank1,2,*, L. Mathieu3
1 Chirurgická klinika Lékařské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice Hradec Králové
2 6. polní nemocnice Armády České republiky
3 Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Desgenettes Military Hospital, Lyon, France

The extremities continue to be the most frequent sites of wounding during armed conflicts despite the change of combat tactics, soldier armour and battlefield medical support. Due to the advances in prehospital care and timely transport to the hospital, orthopaedic surgeons deal with severe and challenging injuries of the limbs. In contrast to civilian extremity trauma, the most combat-related injuries are open wounds that often have infection-related complications. Data from two recent large armed conflicts (Iraq, Afghanistan) show that extremity injuries are associated with a high complication rate, morbidity and healthcare utilization. A systematic approach that consists of sequential surgical care and good transport capabilities can reduce the complication rate of these injuries. New medical technologies have been implemented in the treatment strategy during the last decade. This article reviews the published scientific data and current opinions on combat-related extremity injuries.

Keywords: extremity, combat, trauma, medical support system

Published: June 1, 2013  Show citation

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Frank M, Mathieu L. Management of War Orthopaedic Injuries in Recent Armed Conflicts. Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 2013;80(3):197-202. doi: 10.55095/achot2013/031. PubMed PMID: 23777944.
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