Assistant Professor University of California, Davis Medical Center Sacramento, California
Fracture healing in isolation has been well characterized and studied. However, these studies do not reflect the clinical reality that fractures most often are a component of polytrauma with patients having additional injuries. Due to systemic and local alterations in the body's physiologic response to critical and multiple injuries, fractures have an increased propensity for nonunion resulting in patient morbidity, worse outcomes, need for further surgeries, and increased healthcare expenditures. This seminar will explore the cellular and molecular alterations that occurs with polytrauma related to fracture healing with an eye towards future areas of study.