ABSTRACT
Extremity trauma can be thought of as injury in isolation or in the context of trauma to the whole body. In the latter scenario extremity trauma and the mode in which it is managed may be important, as is the physiological stability of the patient – a concept known as damage control orthopaedic surgery. The goal of extremity trauma management is to return the injured area to optimal function as quickly as possible and therefore return function to the patient. The diagnosis of extremity trauma begins with the taking of a pertinent history followed by focused physical examination and appropriate special tests. Neurovascular examination is an important part of extremity examination and summary terms such as ‘neurovascularly intact’ are best avoided. The mainstay of extremity trauma investigation remains radiography of the affected limb to see if there is a bony injury. Ultrasound is very useful to define soft-tissue injuries.
