Orthopaedic trauma care: initial global approaches to management during a pandemic

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly affected the treatment of patients with surgical conditions, including those with acute and chronic musculoskeletal issues. While different global regions experienced different levels of COVID-19 activity and had different resources with which to deal with the pandemic, there were many consistent approaches to injury care and musculoskeletal trauma management. Understanding these approaches is necessary to improve current and future strategies to taking care of orthopaedic trauma patients in an infectious disease outbreak. This supplement focuses on approaches to musculoskeletal trauma care during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 19 countries from 6 continents. This work represents a collaborative work of member societies of the International Orthopaedic Trauma Association (IOTA), an international association of orthopaedic societies dedicated to the promotion of musculoskeletal trauma care through advancements in patient care, research, and education. The information in these reports will aid efforts to understand and ultimately better address musculoskeletal trauma care worldwide during the first waves of the pandemic.