Introduction Each year civilian trauma accounts for 35 million emergency department (ED) visits and 1.9 million hospital discharge admissions across the United States. Leading causes of injury include falls, 40%; motor vehicle crashes, 28%; and firearms, 4.35%. Trauma is the…
Introduction Conservative management of fractures has limitations. Traction, splintage, and casting are limited in their capacity to restore form and function. The fundamental purpose of the skeleton is to provide structure to the body and create attachment points for muscles,…
Historical Background Early Fixators The external fixator was invented 12 years before the plaster cast. In 1846 Jean Francois Malgaigne devised an ingenious mechanism consisting of a clamp that approximated four transcutaneous metal prongs to reduce and maintain patellar fractures…
Introduction Nonoperative management of fractures is presumably as old as humankind. One would therefore anticipate that as part of the evolutionary biology of humans there would be an intrinsic ability for fractures to heal without surgical interference. Over centuries this…
Introduction Understanding biomechanics is essential for an orthopaedic surgeon. Orthopaedic surgeons are architectural engineers of the human skeleton, and their job in trauma is to repair the skeletal structure if it is fractured or diseased so that it can resume…
Introduction The rapid development of contemporary fracture fixation devices has occurred as the concepts of minimally invasive surgical techniques have advanced. Percutaneous instrumentation, the refinement of insertion portals, and the development of blocking screw techniques have expanded the range of…
Introduction Fracture healing is a complex process influenced by biologic and biomechanical factors. Understanding the biology of a healing bone is critical when utilizing implants that will affect this process. Although many of the principles taught in fracture surgery have…
Introduction This chapter proposes an overview of the challenges in meeting the increasing needs for trauma care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The epidemiologic aspects of the burden of injuries are discussed elsewhere in this book (see Chapter 2…
Injuries are a leading cause of death and disability around the world. In 2016 injuries killed 4.6 million people globally, corresponding to a rate of 64.4 per 100,000 people. Fig. 2.1A shows the relative distribution of global deaths, from communicable…
The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government. Introduction Trauma derives from the Greek word τραῦµα, literally meaning “wound.”…