Washington University orthopedic surgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital are specially trained in trauma surgery and are recognized as leaders in the treatment of unhealed fractures and healed fracture deformities. As the first trauma center to be accredited by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I Trauma Center, Barnes-Jewish offers the best in both physician expertise and inpatient or outpatient care.
Trauma patients often include those who have sustained multiple injuries or isolated fractures resulting from automobile or motorcycle accidents, falls or other incidents. Washington University orthopedic specialists work closely with other medical specialists within the hospital, including those in general surgery, plastic surgery and anesthesiology to provide patients with comprehensive and immediate care for their injuries.
Orthopedic trauma surgeons at Barnes-Jewish specialize in:
- Fractures of the arm, leg and joints
- Fractures of the pelvis and acetabulum (cup-shaped socket in the hip bone)
- Treatment and management of patients with multiple fractures
- Nerve and tendon injuries
- Traumatic spine injuries
- Osteomyelitis (infection of the bone)
- Non-union (unhealed fractures)
- Mal-union (healed fracture deformities)
- Post-traumatic reconstruction of the upper and lower extremities
- Amputations
- Osseointegration prosthetic implant surgery
Fracture and trauma care begins with expert decision making on the proper surgical or nonsurgical treatment for each trauma patient. The orthopedic trauma team has training and expertise to perform even the most complex surgical fracture repairs, including:
- Fractures involving joints of the both the upper and lower extremities
- Pelvic and acetabular (hip socket) fractures
- Non-union or improperly healed fractures
- Fractures complicated by infection
After surgery, the team coordinates a wide range of hospital-based services aimed at initially providing adequate pain control and the beginning of rehabilitation. Discharge planning is a collaborative effort between patients, their families, the surgical team, physical therapists and dedicated orthopedic case coordinators.