BETHESDA, Md., May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Marines and other military personnel wounded in combat by a high-energy trauma, such as a bomb blast, may develop bone abnormalities, researchers say.
In heterotopic ossification, bone forms within the soft tissues, such as muscle located near a fracture or other bone injury.
Researchers at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., compared data from 243 patients who were treated for orthopedic injuries from March 1, 2003, to Dec. 31, 2006, at the National Naval Medical Center, including patients who underwent: amputation, external or internal fixation of one or more fractures, and removal of damaged, dead or infected tissue.
Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Agner Forsberg says heterotopic ossification is often associated with injuries to the brain or spinal cord, which can cause the entire body to react as though it is under attack -- known as a systemic inflammatory response.
Forsberg, a doctor who was the lead author, says this unique response to massive injury is the key to understanding why the abnormal bone growth occurs more often in military wounds than in those commonly treated in the civilian population.
The findings are published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
