Are UK Soldiers Getting The Best Treatments For Their Injuries?

Main Category: Bones / Orthopedics
Article Date: 03 Aug 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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A study published looking at US soldiers injured in Iraq shows the need for investment in emerging treatment technologies for serious injuries both by the UK military and the NHS.

All of the patients included in the study were suffering from combat injuries classed as grade III tibial fractures, 68% of which were from blasts such as road side bombs.

The soldiers, split retrospectively into two groups and those receiving the rhBMP-2 protein had remarkable results; a strikingly improved rate of union, a reduced rate of infection and a much lower rate of reoperation. These results display a 'compelling argument for the continued use of such technologies' in treatment of soldiers returning from combat zones and other patients, showing that the research is the most significant trauma contribution arising from the Iraq war.

A Freedom of Information Request was lodged with the Ministry of Defense for information on whether this treatment has been used on British Soldiers, but so far no answer has been forthcoming. Discussion has been ongoing about the variance in treatments between UK and US soldiers injured in combat and most likely the study will add to debates about the availability for emerging treatments and current climate cost-benefits analyses.

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