A Collaborative Research System for Functional Outcomes Following Wartime Extremity Vascular Injury

Vascular injury with hemorrhage and ischemia is a significant cause of battlefield morbidity (i.e., amputation) and mortality. Recent reports have demonstrated the rate of vascular injury in modern combat to be five times that reported in previous wars. As a result of the volume of vascular trauma incurred, management of these injury patterns is of special importance. Indeed, approaches to vascular trauma (extremity and torso) have witnessed significant changes during the course of the current wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore, an appraisal of long-term functional outcomes is warranted. Published in Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery v73 n2 Supplement 1 pS7-S12.