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Chapter 37 - Musculoskeletal Injuries

from Section III - Care of the Elderly by Organ System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2022

Jan Busby-Whitehead
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Samuel C. Durso
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
Christine Arenson
Affiliation:
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
Rebecca Elon
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Mary H. Palmer
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
William Reichel
Affiliation:
Georgetown University Medical Center
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Summary

Traumatic orthopedic injuries in the elderly patient present both a medical and surgical challenge. This growing population requires management tailored to specific patient needs and particular attention to bone quality and soft tissue management to avoid complications. Injury treatment is dependent on host factors, injury factors, and other special considerations in order to optimize outcome. The goal of treatment in the elderly patient is to allow for return to preinjury functional status, obtain fracture healing, and restore mobility. This chapter will focus on the treatment of some of the most common musculoskeletal injuries encountered in the elderly, including proximal humerus fractures, wrist fractures, hip fractures, ankle fractures, and vertebral compression fractures.

Type
Chapter
Information
Reichel's Care of the Elderly
Clinical Aspects of Aging
, pp. 440 - 456
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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