As you might imagine, an orthopaedic trauma describes an injury that occurs in response to something traumatic happening to the body.
These encounters can cause significant damage to all parts of the musculoskeletal system, from cartilage, joints, and bones, to organs, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. And, because of the nature of these traumatic incidents, orthopaedic trauma injuries can also be complex, like crushed or shattered bones.
Types of traumatic injuries include:
As an orthopaedic trauma specialist, Dr. Eric E. Johnson has seen all types of injuries over his career. His extensive experience also gives him the skill to diagnose, treat, and manage complicated traumatic injuries and polytrauma.
In this blog, Dr. Johnson shares a few of the most common causes of polytrauma and why they require expert care.
Our bodies are strong, remarkable structures. However, they can only handle so much force. As a result, certain traumatic events can cause multiple injuries all at one time, resulting in “polytrauma.”
The most common causes of polytrauma include:
Each of these incidents exert extreme force on the body, causing extensive damage.
Hearing the word traumatic probably makes you think the worst. But not all traumatic injuries are life-threatening. That doesn’t, however, mean they aren’t serious.
Examples of polytraumatic orthopaedic injuries include:
To further complicate things, “polytraumatic” means you have more than one of these injuries simultaneously. Because of that, you need a skilled orthopaedist like Dr. Johnson to manage your injuries to provide the best outcomes.
In many cases, people with polytrauma receive care immediately in a Level I medical center. After receiving emergency care, your team can put you in touch with an experienced trauma orthopaedist for your ongoing care. For example, Dr. Johnson works with polytrauma patients initially treated at Ronald Reagan Medical Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Once in Dr. Johnson’s care, he performs an evaluation of his own, looking for orthopaedic injuries and assessing their severity. In many cases, this requires additional X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, and he often starts with the spine, chest, and pelvis because injuries to these areas can pose the highest risk.
After evaluating your entire body, Dr. Johnson outlines your treatment strategy, determining the best strategy for all your injuries moving forward. These treatments can vary depending on the injury and its severity, but Dr. Johnson monitors your progress every step of the way to ensure you receive the care you need to avoid complications later.
In addition to providing expert care for polytraumatic injuries, Dr. Johnson also offers orthopaedic solutions for past injuries that didn’t heal properly, like hip replacements, reconstruction, and osteotomy.
If you have one or more traumatic injuries, don’t wait to get expert care. Schedule an appointment with Eric E. Johnson, MD, in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, by calling 310-206-1169 today.
