Military orthopedic surgeons saw a spike in complex injuries to the extremities during Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).
Surgeons working at level-1 trauma hospitals have also faced challenges in treating civilians who suffer high-energy trauma. The U.S. Department of Defense asked for proposals in 2008 for an initial peer-reviewed consortium award to improve evidence and research for extremity warfare injury research. This was according to a release by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The release noted that trauma was a major concern.
