The New Normal of Military Orthopaedic and Rehabilitative Care

It may only take seconds for a service member to sustain a traumatic limb injury from an overturned vehicle, improvised explosive device, or high-velocity bullet. But the effects of those few seconds will remain with those wounded warriors for the rest of their lives. Thankfully, today’s military medical providers of orthopaedic rehabilitation are stepping up in big ways to meet the lifelong needs of these brave men and women. They are bringing a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to medical care that focuses not only on a patient’s short-term physical needs but also on obtaining the highest possible levels of function with long-term considerations of their family as well. Rehabilitation efforts are being considered minutes after the injury—a perspective that reflects the…