Embargoed for A.M. Release, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000
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Medical advances in surgical procedures,devices assisting people who suffer trauma
NEW YORK--About 800,000 surgical procedures are performed each year to help repair fractures, and surgeons are using medical advances in new techniques and devices to help repair the trauma from broken bones.
Minimally invasive surgical procedures and advances in internal and external devices to support broken bones now help some people who suffer fractures and related damage to muscles, tendons and ligaments.
"These procedures and advanced medical devices mean patients who need surgical repair of broken bones may have options that help speed their recovery," Bruce D. Browner, MD, said today at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' 10th annual Orthopaedics Update.
"Because of these advances, there can be reduced risk of infection, less pain and shorter hospital stays," said Dr. Browner, Gray-Gossling professor and chairman of the department of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Conn., and director of orthopaedics at Hartford Hospital. "Additionally, patients experience less 'secondary' damage to muscles and other soft tissue that can occur during surgical procedures." (More)
Minimally invasive surgery techniques and devices placed internally and externally--known as intramedullary rods, plates and hybrid external fixators--are used when they are viable options and when medically necessary for "clean" breaks as well as fractures resulting in bone fragmentation.
For example, fractures of the femur, the long bone in the thigh, traditionally have been treated by surgeons placing a plate on the bone for support, a procedure that requires a long incision the length of the thigh. With the advances, however, the same repair involves several mini-incisions near the fracture site allowing surgeons to insert plates, which have new designs to support critical blood flow.
"Patient's quality of life improves when they can return to daily activities sooner, and costs associated with shorter hospital stays and rehabilitation periods also are reduced because recovery times are shorter," Dr. Browner said.
While medical science continues to advance the treatment of trauma, Dr. Browner called for a greater focus worldwide on prevention--particularly of trauma caused by automobile accidents--during the Bone and Joint Decade, 2000-2010.
According to the Global Road Safety Partnership, every year one million people are killed and 10 million to 15 million are injured or disabled in road accidents worldwide. The partnership, which operates under the framework of the Business Partners for Development program initiated by the World Bank Group, also reports that more than 163,000 of those killed and 1.5 million of those injured are younger than 15.
"The economic and social impact of road accidents worldwide, particularly in developing nations, is staggering," Dr. Browner said. "Annually, the cost of road traffic injuries is $100 billion in these countries, which is almost twice the total of all source of foreign aid.
"In the United States, traffic fatalities and injuries remain a serious health issue, but they have been reduced by laws prohibiting drinking-while-driving as well as increased use of seat belts and airbags. The impact of this serious health problem would be reduced in developing countries and other areas of the world if health officials and other leaders followed those safety trends and implemented other road and traffic safety measures," Dr. Browner said.
An orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor with extensive training in the diagnosis and nonsurgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.
The 24,500-member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy supports the Bone and Joint Decade, 2000-2010, a global initiative to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.
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