High Veloctiy Missile Wounds In Extremities

Moon, Myung Sang; Lee, Jang Jung; Kim, Do Sang

Abstract

It is socially fortunate that there is little chance in the civil hospital to experience the victims of high velocity missiles. However it is reasonable thought to educate doctors about the gunshot and explosive injuries who might be mobilized in emergency condition. Authors have experiences to treat the high velocity missile wounds. In order to provide valid data to be an educational material, we clinically analyzed 41cases of those injuries who were treated at the Capital Armed Forces General Hospital from 19xx to 19xx. The results obtained were as follows: 1. In 15 cases there were only soft tissue injuries, The remaining 26 cases had the bone injuries and six of them had two injury sites. 2. In 28 cases the lower extremities were injuried, and they out-numbered the injury of upper extremities. The most frequent site of injuries was the thigh (31.7%). 3. Most common associated injuries were the periphenal nerve injuries, which numbered 10 cases. 4. The early operative treatments were given in 5 out of 32 cases having bone injuries. And the secondary operations, including bone graft and intemal fixation, had to be done in 10 out of the remaining 27 cases due to delayed union or nonunion. 5. There was no infection in cases having only the soft tissue injuries. But the localized osteomyelitis occurred in 4 cases among the cases having bony injuries. 6. Factors affecting the result of high velocity missile wounds were presence of bony involvement, site and extent of injuries, associated thoracoabdominal injuries and presence of peripheral nerve injuries and infection. 7. The evacuation time, chance of early adequate wound management, site of injury and extent of injury were the important factors in deciding the method of treatment. We suggest that the more selective and aggressive measures should be taken in the management of bony injuries.