I am physical therapist working in a rehab center where we often see traumatic leg and arm injuries from car and work-related accidents. We are trying to develop a way to measure and document muscle loss from the time of the injury through discharge from treatment. What are other trauma centers using?
Missing muscle and soft tissue mass referred to as volumetric muscle loss (VML) is a big problem for soldiers and civilians alike following traumatic injuries. Efforts are being made to document the effect these injuries have so that better treatment outcomes can be developed. With the increased number of combat-casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom, military teams have worked hard to put together a standardized protocol that would accurately assess and clearly describe injuries of this type. A standard assessment protocol should include photographs, video analysis, and tests and measures for motion, strength, and function. Any and all of these tools can be used to document before, during, and after injury effects and progress. The military rehab team recommends the following for evaluating volumetric muscle loss and its effects: