ABSTRACT
The extremities are reported to be the most commonly injured body regions in modern warfare. In each armed conflict since World War II, more than 54" of all United States military combat wounds were extremity wounds. Specifically, lower extremity injuries accounted for 26" to 48" of all combat injuries sustained during this time period. In an underbelly (UB) blast event, the lower extremity of a vehicle occupant is highly susceptible to injury because of its proximity to the primary impact point. The lower extremity can be divided into five regions: pelvic, thigh, leg, foot and ankle. The pelvic bone transfers the body weight from the vertebral column to the pelvic girdle. The thigh encompasses the area between the pelvic bone and the knee. The femur, the largest and heaviest bone of the body, resides in the thigh and transmits the body weight from the pelvis to the tibia. The leg is supported by two bones: tibia and fibula.
