Complications of Extremity Vascular Injuries in Conflict

Contemporary management and time to revascularization in upper extremity arterial injury

INTRODUCTION

Upper extremity arterial injury is associated with significant morbidity and mortality for trauma patients, but there is a paucity of data to guide the clinician in the management of these injuries. The goals of this review were to characterize the demographics, presentation, clinical management, and outcomes, and to evaluate how time to intervention associates with outcomes in trauma patients with upper extremity vascular injuries.

METHODS

The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) Research Data Set for the years 2007-2016 was queried in order to identify adult patients (age ≥ 18) with an upper extremity arterial injury. Patients with brachiocephalic, subclavian, axillary, or brachial artery injury using the 1998 and 2005 versions of the Abbreviated Injury Scale were included. Patients with non-survivable injuries to the brain, traumatic amputation, or other major arterial injuries to the torso or lower extremities were excluded.

RESULTS

The data from 7908 patients with upper extremity arterial injuries was reviewed. Of those, 5407 (68.4%) underwent repair of the injured artery. The median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 10 (IQR = 7-18), and 7.7% of patients had a severe ISS (≥ 25). Median time to repair was 120 min (IQR = 60-240 min). Management was open repair in 52.3%, endovascular repair in 7.3%, and combined open and endovascular repairs in 8.8%; amputation occurred in 1.8% and non-operative management was used in 31.6% of patients. Blunt mechanism of injury, crush injury, concomitant fractures/dislocations, and nerve injuries were associated with amputation, whereas simultaneous venous injury was not. There was a significant decrease in the rate of amputation when patients undergoing surgical revascularization did so within 90 min of injury (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

Injuries to arteries of the upper extremity are managed with open repair, endovascular repair, and, rarely, amputation. Expeditious transport to the operating room for revascularization is the key for limb salvage.

Update in combined musculoskeletal and vascular injuries of the extremities

Combined musculoskeletal and vascular injuries of the extremities are conditions in which a multidisciplinary approach is a sine qua non to ensure life initially and limb viability secondarily. Vascular injuries as part of musculoskeletal trauma are usually the result of the release of a high energy load in the wound site so that the prognosis is determined by the degree of soft-tissue damage, duration of limb ischemia, patient’s medical status and presence of associated injuries. The management of these injuries is challenging and requires a specific algorithm of action, because they are usually characterized by increased morbidity, amputation rate, infection, neurological and functional deficits, and they could be life threatening. Although vascular injuries are rare and occur either isolated or in the context of major combined musculoskeletal trauma, the high index of suspicion, imaging control, and timely referral of the patient to organized trauma centers ensure the best functional outcome of the extremity in such challenging cases. Even after a successful initial treatment of a combined trauma pattern, long-term follow-up is crucial to prevent and detect early possible complications. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide an update on diagnosis and treatment of combined musculoskeletal and vascular injuries of the extremities, from an orthopedic point of view.

Epidemiology of Upper Extremity Vascular Injury in Contemporary Combat

BACKGROUND

The incidence of wartime upper-extremity vascular injury (UEVI) has been stable for the past century. The objective of this study is to provide a contemporary review of wartime UEVI, including epidemiologic characterization and description of early limb loss.

METHODS

The Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DoDTR) was queried to identify US service members who sustained a battle-related UEVI in Afghanistan between January 2009 and December 2015. Anatomic distribution of injury, mechanism of injury (MOI), associated injuries, early management, and early limb loss were analyzed.

RESULTS

Analysis identified 247 casualties who sustained 308 UEVIs. The most common injury was to the vessels distal to the brachial bifurcation (63.3%, n = 195), followed by the brachial vessels (27.3%, n = 84) and the axillary vessels (9.4%, n = 29). The predominant MOIs were penetrating explosive fragments (74.1%, n = 183) and gunshot wounds (25.9%, n = 64). Associated fractures were identified in 151 (61.1%) casualties and nerve injuries in 133 (53.8%). Angiography was performed in 91 (36.8%) casualties, and endovascular treatment was performed 10 (4%) times. Temporary vascular shunts were placed in 39 (15.8%) casualties. Data on surgical management were available for 171 injuries and included repair (48%, n = 82) and ligation (52%, n = 89). The early limb loss rate was 12.1% (n = 30). For all casualties sustaining early limb loss, the MOI was penetrating fragments from an explosion; the average injury severity score (ISS) was 32.3, and the mortality was 6.7% (n = 2). In those without amputation, the ISS and mortality were low at 20 and 4.6% (n = 10), respectively. Overall mortality was 4.9% (n = 12).

CONCLUSIONS

The early limb loss rate was increased compared with initial descriptions from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Amputations are associated with a higher ISS. Improved data capture and fidelity, or differing MOIs, may account for this trend. Proficiency with open and endovascular therapy remains a critical focus for combat casualty care.

Combat vascular injury: Influence of mechanism of injury on outcome

BACKGROUND

Haemorrhage is the leading cause of death on the battlefield. Seventy percent of injuries are due to explosive mechanisms. Anecdotally, these patients have had poorer outcomes when compared to those with penetrating mechanisms of injury (MOI). We wished to test the hypothesis that outcomes following vascular reconstruction were worse in blast-injured than non blast-injured patients.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study. British and American combat casualties with arterial injuries sustained in Iraq or Afghanistan (2003-2014) were identified from the UK Joint Theatre Trauma Registry (JTTR). Eligibility included explosive or penetrating MOI, with follow-up to UK hospital discharge, or death. Outcomes were mortality, amputation, graft thrombosis, haemorrhage, and infection. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson Chi-Square test, t-tests, ANOVA or non-parametric equivalent, and survival analyses.

RESULTS

One hundred and fifteen patients were included, 80 injured by explosive and 35 by penetrating mechanisms. Evacuation time, ISS, number of arterial injuries, age and gender were comparable between groups. Seventy percent of arterial injuries resulted from an explosive MOI. The explosive injuries group received more blood products (p = 0.008) and suffered more regions injured (p < 0.0001). Early surgical interventions in both were ligation (n = 36, 31%), vein graft (n = 33, 29%) and shunting (n = 9, 8%). Mortality (n = 12, 10%) was similar between groups. Differences in limb salvage rates following explosive (n = 17, 53%) vs penetrating (n = 13, 76.47%) mechanisms approached statistical significance (p = 0.056). Nine (28%) vein grafted patients developed complications. No evidence of a difference in the incidence of vein graft thrombosis was found when comparing explosive with non-explosive cohorts (p = 0.154).

CONCLUSIONS

The recorded numbers of vein grafts following combat arterial trauma in are small in the JTTR. No statistically-significant differences in complications, including vein graft thrombosis, were found between cohorts injured by explosive and non-explosive mechanisms.

A Novel Prioritization Method in Identifying Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism-Related Genes

Identifying the genes involved in venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence is important not only for understanding the pathogenesis but also for discovering the therapeutic targets. We proposed a novel prioritization method called Function-Interaction-Pearson (FIP) by creating gene-disease similarity scores to prioritize candidate genes underling VTE. The scores were calculated by integrating and optimizing three types of resources including gene expression, gene ontology and protein-protein interaction. As a result, 124 out of top 200 prioritized candidate genes had been confirmed in literature, among which there were 34 antithrombotic drug targets. Compared with two well-known gene prioritization tools Endeavour and ToppNet, FIP was shown to have better performance. The approach provides a valuable alternative for drug targets discovery and disease therapy.

Vascular injuries in the state of Pará, Brazil, 2011-2013 and their relation with demographic and clinical variables

BACKGROUND:Vascular traumas are associated with high morbidity rates.OBJECTIVE: To report the characteristics of vascular traumas in the Brazilian state of Pará, in trauma victims treated at the Hospital Metropolitano de Urgência e Emergência (HMUE), from 2011 to 2013.METHOD: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective and quantitative study that analyzed data on sex, age group, geographical origin, time waiting for care, mechanism of trauma, clinical status, anatomic site of injury, prevalence of associated fractures, vascular structures injured, types of vascular injury, principal types of surgery, early postoperative outcomes, level of amputation, number of deaths, length of hospital stay and multidisciplinary care for 264 medical records.RESULTS: The majority of victims were male and the most common age group was from 16 to 30 years. The majority of cases were from towns other than the state capital, accounting for 169 cases (64.02%). The principal mechanism of injury was firearm wounding - 110 (41.67%) followed by cold weapon wounds - 65 (24.62%) and traffic accidents - 42 (15.91%). The segments of the body and the vascular structures most often injured were lower limbs - 120 (45.45%) and injuries to the popliteal and femoral arteries and veins. The most common clinical presentation at admission was hemorrhage - 154 (58.33%). The most common surgeries were ligatures of veins and arteries. There were 163 (61.74%) hospital discharges and 33 (12.5%) deaths.CONCLUSIONS: The greatest prevalence observed was related to traumas caused by urban violence. Victims were most frequently male, of working age and from towns other than the capital of the state of Pará.

Location of civilian ballistic femoral fracture indicates likelihood of arterial injury

BACKGROUND

We evaluated whether the location of a ballistic femoral fracture helps predict the presence of arterial injury. We hypothesized that fractures located in the distal third of the femur are associated with a higher rate of arterial injury.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of electronic medical records at our level I trauma centre and found 133 consecutive patients with femoral fractures from civilian gunshots from 2002 to 2007, 14 of whom sustained arterial injury. Fracture extent was measured with computerized viewing software and recorded with a standard technique, calculating proximal, distal, and central locations of the fracture as a function of overall length of the bone. Analyses were conducted with Student's t, Chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

The location of any fracture line in the distal third of the femur was associated with increased risk of arterial injury (P<0.05). The odds ratio for the presence of arterial injury when the proximal fracture line was in the distal third of the femur was 5.63 (95% confidence interval, 1.7-18.6; P<0.05) and when the distal fracture line was in the distal third of the femur was 6.72 (95% confidence interval, 1.78-25.44; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A fracture line in the distal third of the femur after ballistic injury is six times more likely to be associated with arterial injury and warrants careful evaluation. Our data show that fracture location can help alert clinicians to possible arterial injury after ballistic femoral fracture.

[Tourniquet use in civil and military medicines]

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this literature review is, after a history and a point about current situation, to present the military use and precautions of use of tourniquet for civil and military medicine.

DATA SOURCES

A review of the Anglo-Saxon and French literature was performed in PUBMED database, from 1962 to 2012. The research was conducted using the following keywords: "tourniquet", "complications", "haemorrhage", "emergency", "military medicine", used alone or in combination.

DATA EXTRACTION

The extracted data concerned the history, the epidemiology, the interest of tourniquet during peacetime and wartime, adverse effects and the ratio benefit/risk.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The tourniquet is "a device which is tightened, in case of haemorrhage, around a limb in order to slow or stop the venous or arterial circulation before surgery…". This item is thus used in surgery to reduce intraoperative bleeding and in emergency medicine as a rescue technique for bleeding places non accessible to compression or to other technical hemostasis. It is also used for treating bleeding of mass casualties. However, its use is too poorly managed by health professionals and it remains risky. Recent armed conflicts have yet revived its day use.

CONCLUSION

The tourniquet has utility in times of war and in peacetime. In each case, indications and complications must be known.

Perioperative Management of Peripheral Vascular Trauma

Peripheral vascular trauma is not uncommon in the civilian setting, and it can be uniquely challenging because of the limited time during which intervention can salvage an ischemic extremity. Injuries can be from a blunt or penetrating mechanism, and these injuries can be isolated or can be in the setting of a complex multisystem trauma. The intent of this review is to discuss the perioperative management of peripheral vascular trauma with an emphasis of predicting, preventing, and managing common postoperative complications.

A rabbit model of peripheral compartment syndrome with associated rhabdomyolysis and a regenerative medicine approach for treatment

Peripheral compartment syndrome (PCS) has a complex etiology, with limited treatment options and high patient morbidity. Animal models of PCS have been hampered by differences in cross-species anatomy, physiology, and the relative rarity of the naturally occurring syndrome in animals. In the present study, the combination of saline infusion with intermittent crushing of skeletal muscle consistently caused increased intracompartmental pressure, hypocalemia, and hypercreatinine-phophokinasemia, signs diagnostic of PCS. This method was used to evaluate both the standard PCS treatment, specifically a fasciotomy, and a regenerative medicine approach for treatment-consisting of a fasciotomy with local administration of a biologic scaffold material composed of porcine small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix (SIS-ECM). The use of this SIS-ECM scaffold in conjunction with a fasciotomy was associated with myogenesis and constructive tissue remodeling in the SIS-ECM-treated animals. At 1 and 3 months after treatment innervated muscle tissue was present at the site of injury. No myogenesis was present in the fasciotomy only treated animals. RAM11+ macrophages, which are associated with constructive tissue remodeling, were present within the injury site in the SIS-ECM-treated animals at 1 month. The present study provides a reproducible animal model with which to study PCS, and shows the potential of a regenerative medicine approach to PCS treatment.

Warfare Vascular Injuries

Vascular injuries as a part of combat injuries have been recorded since times immemorial. Responsible for death due to exsanguination, the management of vascular injuries was ligation or amputation till the landmark Vietnam experience. The present day management has evolved with advances in modern technology and may start at the battlefield with the application of a tourniquet with the definitive treatment continuing beyond the combat operation theatres. A basic understanding of both blunt and penetrating vascular injuries will help minimize mortality and morbidity.