Major Limb Trauma

Burden of disease

Major limb trauma includes fractures, crushing injuries, dislocations, open wounds, amputations and damage to nerve and blood vessels.

Injury is the leading cause of death up to the age of 45 years.

Road traffic accidents each year in the UK result in:
320,000 injuries
40,000 serious injuries
3,400 deaths.

Worldwide, 25% of health care expenditure will be on trauma by 2010.


Directions for future research

Understanding of mechanisms of injury.

Improve injury prevention by optimising of design of injury site, including motor car, work place and sports arena.

Causes and biological mechanisms for delayed and nonunion of fracture.

Development of new implants to fix different fractures.

Study the devastating problems of extraordinary pain, swelling and stiffness after injury(CRPS) and the whole body effects of uncontrolled inflammation (SIRS) which can be caused by injury and develop a strategy for their prevention and treatment.

Improvement in treatment of bone infection following fractures.

Optimisation of the organisation and delivery of trauma services.

Improve rehabilitation by determining the best regimes and help required to return to work.

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