Firearms injuries are considered to be a "privilege" of treatment by military surgeons. It is difficult to find one book that includes all of the knowledge about injuries of the locomotor system caused by firearms, and the treatments of these injuries. This book presents the author's experience in treating more than 5,000 wounded people in the last war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Authentic images of injuries by firearms and the results of treatment are provided for better understanding of the wounds. The key to success in the treatment of these injuries is the primary surgical treatment of wounds. This includes "sterilising wounds", stabilising of broken bone with or without bone defect, treatment of nerves, and blood vessels and open joints. As a measure for stabilisation of open fractures, an external fixator was used for over 85% in the war in former Yugoslavia. The Author presents in detail his vast experience in treatment of open fractures, peace or war trauma of skin, fat, muscle, bone and open joints. He uses a clear indication of treatment in order to reach complete recovery, or a lesser degree of invalidity. He gives a detailed presentation of when and which methods of treatments should be used to treat bone defects, osteomyelitis, delayed healing, pseudoarthrosis and open joints. The Author shows that he achieves a positive clinical outcome, shorter hospital stay and reduced treatment by using these techniques and methods. This book provides instructions on how to treat the most complex open fractures of the locomotor system as to prevent complications and speed up rehabilitation, which is the most valuable to surgeons and should be available in every hospital, at any time, especially when we have in mind the global fight against terrorism.
Preface; History of the War Wound Treatment; Missile Ballistics; Morphology of the War Wound; Treatment of Open Wounds to the Limbs; Classification of Open Fractures in War Wounds; Classification of Open Fractures in Peacetime Wounds; Factors Influencing Osteogenesis in War Wounds & Peacetime Wounds; Radiological Assessment of Bone Callus; Stabilization of Bone Fragments in War & Peacetime Trauma; External Fixation; Mitkovic Fixator - M20; Late Complications of Open Fractures; Nonunions & Distraction Osteogenesis; Bone Defect; Autogenous Bone Grafting Introduction; Types of Autogenous Bone Grafts; Anatomical Areas of Donor Sites & Technique for Harvesting Cortical-Cancellous Graft; Early Autogenous Bone Grafting in Bone Defects; Vascular Bone Autografts; Advantages of Vascularized Autografts in Comparison to Other Autogenous Grafts; References; Index.
