The majority of trauma experienced by both U.S. military personnel and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan is orthopaedic-related, according to a paper published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Most injuries involve the upper and lower extremities and occur during the detonation of explosive devices.
The paper covers the 4th annual Extremity War Injuries Symposium, which took place in January 2009. The symposium focused on a number of issues related to the medical care of wounded warriors, as well as enemy combatants and civilians in host nations. “The most critical need right now is funding for more research so medical personnel can offer the highest level of care,” said author Andrew N. Pollack in a press release.
The 2010 symposium is scheduled for Jan. 27-29 in Washington, and will focus on injured military personnel returning to duty.
