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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Direct Mouse Trauma/Burn Model of Heterotopic Ossification

Direct Mouse Trauma/Burn Model of Heterotopic Ossification

Published on: August 6, 2015

Heterotopic ossification in wartime wounds.

Jonathan Agner Forsberg¹, Benjamin Kyle Potter

¹Regenerative Medicine Department, Combat Casualty Care, Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA. jaforsberg@mac.com

Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances

|April 8, 2010

Summary

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is bone formation in soft tissues, often complicating wartime extremity wounds and amputations. Current treatments focus on surgical removal of symptomatic lesions after conservative measures fail.

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Area of Science:

Orthopedics
Regenerative Medicine
Trauma Surgery

Background:

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the formation of bone in nonosseous tissues.
It frequently complicates high-energy wartime extremity wounds, affecting up to 64% of patients.
HO is a significant cause of disability, particularly in amputees.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current understanding of heterotopic ossification in wartime extremity wounds.
To discuss the clinical course, diagnostic considerations, and management strategies for HO.
To identify areas for future research in prognostication and targeted therapies.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on heterotopic ossification in the context of wartime injuries.
Analysis of findings from animal models and human histology samples.
Evaluation of current treatment paradigms, including conservative measures and surgical excision.

Main Results:

HO formation appears to follow a predictable sequence involving endochondral ossification.
Primary prophylaxis is often impractical due to the severity of wounds and patient evacuation.
Surgical excision is effective for symptomatic lesions after conservative management, with low recurrence rates.

Conclusions:

Heterotopic ossification is a common and disabling complication of severe extremity trauma.
Management involves conservative measures followed by surgical excision for persistent symptoms.
Further research into molecular biology and prognostication may enable targeted prophylaxis and novel treatments.