Medical Missions in Jordan: A Series of Upper-Extremity Orthopedic Injuries

Worldwide, a great deal of disability is caused by musculoskeletal injuries from high-energy trauma. In nations affected by war, blast injuries associated with mines, missiles, high-powered gunshots, and bombings are one cause of these injuries. Medical missions carried out by those from developed nations is one way to address this. Therefore, it is critical that those who participate in these missions maintain a basic understanding the injuries that may be encountered in nations affected by war and violent conflict. We describe a small number of upper-extremity injuries seen by one orthopedic surgeon during his volunteer medical mission to Jordan. Many of these injuries resulted in the loss of function and/or limb, as these patients were treated without appropriate instrumentation or facilities in a suboptimal environment and in a delayed manner by surgeons who lacked optimal training. It is our hope that this case series will encourage studies that can offer guidance in the ways to treat such complex injuries with optimal safety and efficacy.