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Imaging of Blast Injuries to the Lower Extremities Sustained in the Boston Marathon Bombing

2013; Wiley; Volume: 65; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/acr.22113

2151-4658

Ali Guermazi, Daichi Hayashi, Stacy E. Smith, William E. Palmer, Jeffrey N. Katz,

Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation

Blast injuries from the detonation of improvised explosive devices in the civilian environment are extremely rare but may occur due to terrorism. The Boston Marathon bombing on Patriot's Day in April 2013 resulted in numerous severe blast injuries, documenting that even clinicians serving non-military victims need to be aware of the spectrum of injuries that may arise from bomb explosions. They also need to be prepared to manage critically ill patients who are at immediate risk of losing their lives or limbs. The injuries had their most devastating effects on musculoskeletal structures. Prompt imaging was critical to the evaluation of these injuries; many patients required one or more surgical procedures, and rehabilitation from these injuries has proved to be prolonged and difficult. Thus, injuries such as those that occurred in the Boston Marathon bombing are particularly relevant to the fields of rheumatology, rehabilitation, orthopedics and musculoskeletal imaging. In this article, we focus on a specific, crucial aspect of the emergency response -the role of radiologic imaging in blast injuries. We use the cases to illustrate key points about types of imaging that can be used, optimal timing of imaging, expected and unexpected findings and their implications, and different radiologic techniques of importance. © 2013 American College of Rheumatology. Language: en