|
The first edition of Skeletal Trauma: Fractures, Dislocations,
Ligamentous Injuries was written between 1988 and 1991.
This represented a unique window for the creation of this
text, coinciding with the increased recognition of the
special needs of trauma victims. By the mid-1980s, more
than 500 regional trauma centers had been established
throughout the United States and Canada. The volume and
acuity of blunt trauma and associated musculoskeletal
injuries reached a high-water mark. The editors and
contributing authors for Skeletal Trauma had been on the
front lines working in the major trauma centers throughout
this period. They helped to develop a new operative
approach to the treatment of these injuries that stressed
early skeletal fixation and rapid mobilization. The incomparable
firsthand experience that they gained helped shape
their contributions to the text. In the early 1990s, many
states adopted the child restraint device and seat belt
legislation. Successful initiatives to control driving under
the influence of alcohol significantly lowered incidence of
motor vehicle crashes. Improvements in automotive design,
such as airbags and side rails, continued to reduce the
incidence and severity of blunt trauma and complex
musculoskeletal injuries. Although there was an alarming
increase in injuries and deaths from gunshots in our major
cities, penetrating trauma does not usually result in the
multiplicity and complexity of skeletal injuries that are
caused by vehicular crashes. In addition, managed care
contracting practices resulted in the dispersion of trauma
patients to community hospitals, often reducing the number
of injuries seen in trauma centers. In retrospect, the
1980s provided a unique opportunity for the creation of
this text.
The excellent manuscripts provided by our contributing
authors and the beautiful illustrations created by the artists
were assembled into an outstanding text by the W.B.
Saunders production department. In the year of its publication,
1992, it won first prize in medical sciences from the
Association of American Publishers as the best new medical
book. The text has been widely embraced by orthopaedic
and trauma surgeons throughout the world for its clarity
and its utility. They have consistently expressed their
appreciation of our approach, which stresses the discussion
of problem-focus clinical judgment and proven surgical
techniques. The textbook has been regarded by surgeons in
training and practicing physicians to be a practice resource
that can help guide them through the management of the
musculoskeletal injuries with which they are confronted.
We retained and strengthened this basic philosophy and
organization in the second edition.We added new chapters
to cover important subjects that were not addressed
adequately in the first edition. |
