President, first lady check in on Joshua Cope's recovery: Bush visits injured Bay soldier

President, first lady check in on Joshua Cope's recovery: Bush visits injured Bay soldier
By Andy Meinen, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.
McClatchy-Tribune Business News
27 December 2006
The News Herald (MCT)

Distributed by McClatchy - Tribune Information Services.
Dec. 27--WASHINGTON, D.C. -- , Joshua Cope, who served in the Germany-based 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, lost both of his legs and his right arm was injured in Iraq on Nov. 13, when his Humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device, or IED. Linda Cope said her son's legs were amputated on the field. His left arm sustained second-degree burns.

Coming Home: A Love Story

Coming Home: A Love Story
KRAMER, LINDA; JEROME, RICHARD
2907 words
13 November 2006
People Magazine
104
Volume 66; Issue 20;
English
Copyright (c) 2006 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.
Marine Sgt. Ty Ziegel & Renee Kline had vowed to make a life together. Then a suicide bomber in Iraq shattered Ty's body--and put their bond to the ultimate test.
It was 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, four hours before his wedding, and Sgt. Ty Ziegel couldn't find his left hand. He rifled through the drawers in his Washington, Ill., bungalow, until at last he unearthed the prosthesis and, with the two remaining fingers of his right hand, screwed it on. Ty, 24, then pulled on his Marine dress blues, straightened his Purple Heart and sped off in his black Silverado to meet Renee Kline, his 21-year-old bride.

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Marine Sgt. Ty Ziegel

20% result in amputation?

Dr Wandel, who has treated hundreds of wounded American soldiers, said the amputation rate in the Iraq conflict is just 20 per cent compared to 76 per cent during the Vietnam War, translating into thousands of saved limbs. -from this article

According to the Pentagon, 20,687 in the US military have been wounded in Iraq as of October 6, with 9352 injured too seriously to quickly return to duty.

Special soldier, special van

Special soldier, special van
Nonprofit works to raise money for vehicle
By Brian Foley, STAFF WRITER


LIVERMORE — It was one of those moments that ran in slow motion but spanned a few seconds.
Sgt. Cristian Valle, with his company stationed in Badal, Iraq, was investigating a kidnapping, when a car barreled toward his direction. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground.
"All I remember was a gust of wind that came out of nowhere," he said. "I thought I was gone. I thought I was dead. I thought about (my wife) and the baby."

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Sgt. Cristian Valle

725 Amputees

As of Sept. 30, war amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan numbered 725, according to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which also has a military amputee center. - from this article

Military in-Step from the Amputee Coalition of America

Military in-Step

CONTENTS
The United States Armed Forces Amputee Patient Care Program
Letter From the President
U.S. Military Builds on Rich History of Amputee Care
The Military Amputee
The Unique Characteristics of War Injuries
Army Sgt. Garth Stewart: A Soldier’s Duty
Facing Amputation Surgery: What to Expect
A Team-Based Approach to Amputee Rehabilitation
Amputee Coalition of America Provides Training and Support to Military Medical Personnel
The Role of the Military Nurse
Caring for Yourself After Amputation
Wound and Skin Care
Managing Pain
Army SFC Scott Barkalow: A New Life Ahead
Senator Daniel Inouye
The Power of Peer Support
Grief and Depression
The Psychological Concerns of the Soldier Amputee
The Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service (PCLS)
The Recovery Process
New Source of Assistance for Injured Troops and Their Families
Reclaiming Your Independence
The Prosthesis and Its Components
Getting Your Prosthesis
The Socket: Enhancing Your Comfort and Function Through Upper-Extremity Socket Technology
Prosthetic Devices for Upper-Extremity Amputees
Prosthetic Knee Systems
Prosthetic Feet
Transtibial Suspension Alternatives
Prosthetic Socks and Liners
The Wonderful World of Cosmesis
The Rehabilitation Process
Prosthetic Design and Fitting
3-Dimensional Gait Analysis for Patients With Lower-Limb Amputations
Hon. Judge John J. Farley, III: Wounded Vet Returns to New Career and Life
Small Part for Above-Knee Prosthesis Makes a Big Difference
Ten Exercises to Maximize the Performance of Your Prosthetic Feet
Common Problems
Caring for Skin: Prosthetic Skin Care
Former Senator Max Cleland
Army SSG Josh Olson
Preventing and Caring for the Secondary Conditions of Limb Loss
The Military Benefits System
What Are My VA Benefits?
Carl Brashear
The Process of Returning to Duty or Not After Limb Loss
Sports and Recreation
Five Steps for Introducing Running to Lower-Limb Amputees
Sports and Recreation Resources

Medical Article: Treatment of blast injuries of the extremity.

J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2006 Oct;14(10):S77-81.
Treatment of blast injuries of the extremity.
Bumbasirevic M,
Lesic A,
Mitkovic M,
Bumbasirevic V.
Blast trauma is a complex event. Pathophysiologically, blast injuries are identified as primary (caused solely by the direct effect of blast overpressure on the tissue), secondary (caused by flying objects or fragments), tertiary (caused by bodily displacement), or quaternary (indirectly caused by the explosion). The range of primary blast injuries includes fractures, amputations, crush injury, burns, cuts, lacerations, acute occlusion of an artery, air embolism-induced injury, compartment syndrome, and others. Secondary injuries are the most common extremity blast injuries. Like primary injuries, they may necessitate limb amputation, be life-threatening, and produce severe contamination. Tertiary blast injuries of the extremity may result in traumatic amputations, fractures, and severe soft-tissue injuries. Quaternary injuries most often are burns. Following treatment and stabilization of immediate life-threatening conditions, all patients are given antibiotic and tetanus prophylaxis. Debridement and wound excision are started as early as possible, with repeat debridement performed as necessary; fasciotomies also are performed to prevent compartment syndrome. Well-vascularized muscular free flaps provide soft-tissue coverage for blast-injured extremities. The closed-open technique of flap closure allows reexamination of the wound, further irrigation, debridement, and later bone and soft-tissue reconstruction.
PMID: 17003215 [PubMed - in process]

Medical Article: Standard wound coverage techniques for extremity war injury

J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2006 Oct;14(10):S62-5.
Standard wound coverage techniques for extremity war injury.
Kumar AR.
Reconstruction of extremity war injuries begins with aggressive forward resuscitative care and stabilization of the trauma patient. After serial care in progressively better supported medical environments, definitive management is done at the level V military treatment facility. Aggressive forward care coupled with rapid air transport has enabled increasingly complex care to be administered at the continental United States military facilities; however, it has also made the decision between limb salvage and amputation more challenging. Yet to be determined are (1) the optimal timing of definitive wound closure or coverage in coordination with fracture stabilization and (2) the optimal types of flap for both upper and lower extremity reconstruction. Records of patients with complex lower and upper extremity wounds who were treated at the National Naval Medical Center between September 2004 and June 2006 reveal useful short-term data. Longer-term data, such as fracture union rate, time to ambulation, range of motion and global function of salvaged limbs, patient satisfaction with limb salvage, and average cost, are not yet available.
PMID: 17003210 [PubMed - in process]

OPGA to Host M.A.S. Seminar at Walter Reed

OPGA to Host M.A.S. Seminar at Walter Reed
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Group of America (OPGA) will host a M.A.S.® seminar for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), Washington DC on January 26-27, 2007. "OPGA is proud to have the opportunity to present this exciting and innovative socket technology to WRAMC," said OPGA President Jim Andreassen.

Microprocessor fine-tunes movement of prosthetic leg

Microprocessor fine-tunes movement of prosthetic leg
Web Posted: 10/24/2006 05:44 PM CDT
Wendy RigbyKENS 5 Eyewitness News
Computer microprocessors are revolutionizing everything from cameras to music players to cell phones. Now, this amazing technology is even helping amputees walk more normally.

The latest technology for amputees is a prosthetic leg that mimics natural movement called the C-Leg. The microprocessor inside it controls the hydraulic function, automatically fine-tuning itself 50 times a second to anticipate the next move.

Greenfield Marine fights new battle

Greenfield Marine fights new battle
Joshua Bleill

Bethesda, MD - The Iraq war produces images of extremes: Funerals and happy homecomings. Eyewitness News brings you a story you don't often see: an Indiana survivor. A Marine from Greenfield was seriously wounded in battle. He has broken bones in his jaw and his mouth is wired shut. A tracheotomy helps him breathe. When I went to Bethesda, Maryland to meet Josh Bleill, I found a Marine who has lost much more, but considers himself thankful.

• Lance Corporal Joshua Bleill

Duckworth Says She Might Run Again

Duckworth Says She Might Run Again
Iraq War Veteran Lost Congressional Contest


(CBS) HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. After losing a heated and close race this week, Tammy Duckworth says she is considering a second run at Congress in 2008.Duckworth, a Democrat and an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs in a Black Hawk helicopter crash, ran for the open seat in the 6th Congressional District. She lost to Republican State Sen. Peter Roskam.

Getting amputees back on their feet Navy's one-stop, state-of-the-art

Getting amputees back on their feet Navy's one-stop, state-of-the-art rehabilitation center in California helps war injured realize goals
Eilene Zimmerman, Special to The Chronicle
Wednesday, November 8, 2006

(11-08) 04:00 PST San Diego -- Nathaniel Leoncio, a petty officer third class with the U.S. Navy, was on patrol with the Marines in the Iraqi city of Ramadi a year ago when a roadside bomb exploded and changed his life. Leoncio had a host of severe wounds, including abdominal injuries that necessitated his wearing a colostomy bag for months.
But most traumatic was the loss of his right leg, at mid-thigh.

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Nathaniel Leoncio

Roskam defeats Duckworth

VFW shakes Duckworth

VFW shakes Duckworth

Roskam endorsement leads to bickering by some vets leadersBy John BiemerTribune staff reporterPublished November 4, 2006
Republican congressional candidate Peter Roskam on Friday touted his endorsement by the Veterans of Foreign Wars' political committee, a move that surprised Democratic rival Tammy Duckworth, a VFW member who lost both legs in the Iraq War.

Injured Mo. Soldier Takes On NYC Marathon (video)

Injured Mo. Soldier Takes On NYC Marathon

WASHINGTON -- A soldier from Clinton, Mo., who was injured in Iraq is tackling another mission -- a marathon.
Spc. Chris Rutter lost both of his legs to a roadside bomb south of Baghdad, but he said that won't stop him from testing the limits of his strength and endurance.
On Sunday, only six months after he was injured, he will compete in the New York City Marathon using a cycle that is powered by his hands.


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Spc. Chris Rutter- both legs

Uncounted Casualties

Uncounted Casualties
By Jonathan Kaplan,the author of "The Dressing Station" and "Contact Wounds," on his experiences as a volunteer surgeon in Iraq and other warsWednesday, November 1, 2006; Page C07
BLOOD BROTHERS
Among the Soldiers of Ward 57

By Michael Weisskopf
Henry Holt. 301 pp. $25
The war in Iraq has meant new patterns of injury. Better U.S. body armor often keeps soldiers alive despite the massive force of explosions that rip off arms and legs; such victims would have died from multiple organ rupture in earlier conflicts. Meanwhile, the very nature of the war, with its prolonged exposure to relentless tension in a conflict with few clear front lines, is likely to induce post-traumatic stress disorder in many soldiers; a recent review revealed that 9 percent of Vietnam veterans still suffered from PTSD a dozen years after that war ended.