Extremity War Injuries Symposium to Prioritize Combat-Related Musculoskeletal
Research Topics
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.
SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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Related links:
http://www.aaos.org
http://www.orthoinfo.org http://www.usbjd.org
CONTACT:
Kory D'Angelo, +1-847-384-4034,
dangelo@aaos.org , or Carlye Fallon, +1-847-384-4035,
fallon@aaos.org , both of AAOS
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