Traumatic injury is a term which refers to physical injuries of sudden onset and severe enough to require immediate medical attention. Traumatic injuries are the result of a wide variety of blunt, penetrating, and burn mechanisms. They include motor vehicle collisions, sports injuries, falls, natural disasters, and a multitude of other physical injuries which can occur at home, on the street, or while at work and require immediate care. Persistent pain and psychological distress lasting several years are common after traumatic musculoskeletal injury (TMsI).1

Accidents resulting in traumatic injury and requiring medical attention are treated in all levels of care sites, including physician’s offices, outpatient clinics, hospital emergency departments, and if severe enough, hospitalization. In 2013, more than 72 million patient visits for injuries were recorded for all levels of care, with 87% of these visits (62.7 million) involving a musculoskeletal injury. Visits for musculoskeletal injuries represented 5% of all healthcare visits for any cause. Visits to a physician’s office accounted for the largest share of total musculoskeletal injury healthcare visits (58%), while the 18.9 million emergency department visits for a musculoskeletal injury represented the highest share of visits for any cause (14%). (Reference Table 5B.0.1 PDF CSV)

bmus_e4_g5b.0.1.png

• 1. Rosenbloom BN, Khan S, McCartney C, Katz J. Systemic review of persistent pain and psychological outcomes following traumatic musculoskeletal injury. Journal of Pain Research 2013:6;39-51. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3555553/pdf/jpr-6-039.pdf  September 10, 2018.