Medical Department, United States Army, Surgery in World War II. Orthopedic Surgery in the European Theater of Operations,

Abstract

In all of the major wars in which the United States has been engaged, battle casualties caused by injuries involving the bones and joints have presented a formidable problem to the Army Medical Department. This has been true from the standpoint of their frequency as well as their incapacitating effects. Tn the Civil War, in World War I, and in World War II, more than 70 percent of the wounded who survived to reach hospitals have had wounds or injuries involving the upper or lower extremities. In the Korean conflict, about two-thirds of the wounded or injured in action had injuries of these sites. Compound (or open) fractures make up an appreciable part of these wounds or injuries of the extremities; for the period of the Korean conflict, about one-fourth. The mere citation of these figures indicates the magnitude of the task which confronts the military orthopedic surgeon.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1956
Accession Number
ADA301707

Entities

People

  • Elizabeth M. Mcfetridge
  • John B. Coates
  • Mather Cleveland

Organizations

  • Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Bone Diseases
  • Bone Fractures
  • Debridement
  • Health Services
  • Joints (Anatomy)
  • Medical Personnel
  • Orthopedic Surgical Procedures
  • Orthopedics

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.