Laser tratment of traumatic scars: a military perspective

Advancements in medical treatment and transport over more than a decade of conflict have resulted in unprecedented survival rates for service members despite catastrophic injuries. Enhanced survival has created an unprecedented need for comprehensive rehabilitation and transition services. Though far from the exclusive domain of military dermatologists, military medicine has had a prominent role in integrating cutaneous procedural techniques into the rehabilitation of traumatically injured patients for a variety of reasons. The introduction of fractional laser technology in the mid-2000's has stimulated a revolution in scar treatment, and is gradually remodeling the fields of procedural dermatology and trauma rehabilitation both inside and outside of the military. This manuscript will provide a brief review of common cutaneous procedures applicable to rehabilitation, with an emphasis on ablative fractional laser resurfacing of scars and contractures.