Fractures account for only about 10% of all musculoskeletal traumatic injuries, but they cause a disproportionate amount of medical impairment. The costs of fracture care, including lost productivity, medical expenses,…
Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common and devastating complications of orthopaedic surgical procedures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 22% of all…
Demographics of Osteoporotic Fragility Fractures Fragility fracture refers to those fractures that result from a fall from standing height or less and frequently occur in the hip, wrist, and spine….
Introduction Disasters are large-scale destructive events that disrupt the infrastructure and normal functioning of a community. Disasters are both natural (e.g., earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes) and human made (e.g., industrial spills,…
More than 50,000 spinal column fractures occur in the United States each year, and those resulting in a spinal cord injury (SCI) can be devastating. Although we may not be…
Early Splinting Techniques Humans have never been immune from injury, and doubtless the practice of bonesetting was not unfamiliar to our most primitive forebears. Indeed, given the known skills of…
Introduction to the Concept of Damage Control Orthopaedics The initial treatment of a femur fracture can significantly impact patient survival, as was dramatically demonstrated during World War I. In the…
Introduction Each year civilian trauma accounts for 35 million emergency department (ED) evaluations and 1.9 million hospital discharges admissions across the United States. It is the leading cause of death…
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…
Introduction The last 10 years has seen the rapid advancement of fracture fixation devices and surgical techniques. The development of preshaped locking plates in concert with minimally invasive surgical exposures…
