CARNEY SUCCESSFUL IN PUSH FOR ORTHOPEDIC RESEARCH FUNDING

$30 million included in final version of House Defense Appropriations Bill

Washington, DC –Congressman Christopher Carney (PA-10) announced that the 2011 Defense Appropriations Bill includes $30 million for orthopedic research funding, a provision Congressman Carney took the lead on in Congress. In February, Congressman Carney urged the House Committee on Appropriations to include funding for peer-reviewed orthopedic research in the Supplemental Appropriations bill. Those efforts led to funding being included in the 2011 appropriations bill, which is expected to pass the House of Representatives before the end of the year.
 
“The need for this research has never been greater or more immediate,” said Congressman Carney. “Our military men and women have offered tremendous sacrifices to defend our country and we owe it to them to ensure they have access to the best possible medical care and treatment programs. I am thrilled to see funding for extremity research included the Defense Appropriations Bill and I am committed to seeing the provision pass both chambers of Congress.”
 
“Congressman Carney has proven to be a true and effective leader in advocating for our servicemen and women throughout his time in Congress, and his work on behalf of the Peer Reviewed Orthopedic Research Program again demonstrates his deep commitment to ensuring quality care for our returning soldiers,” said Dr. Andrew Pollack, President-elect of the Orthopedic Trauma Association and Chair of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons Extremity War Injuries Project Team. “This funding will allow valuable research into best practices and options for limb salvage, which in turn will provide a better quality of life for those wounded in battle. Congressman Carney’s efforts cannot be overstated and I look forward to working with him to ensure this program receives the necessary annual funding to provide this important research.”
 
Extremity injuries are the most common battlefield injury, accounting for approximately 82 percent of war injuries sustained throughout the world. These injuries often result in severe and multiple injuries to the arms and legs. Most of these wounds are caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and high-velocity gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, following these kinds of battlefield injuries, amputation occurs at twice the rate of past wars. Extremity research programs seek to find alternative treatments in order to prevent amputations.
 
A U.S. Army analysis of soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001 through 2005 showed that extremity injuries account for the greatest proportion of medical resource utilization and cause the greatest number of disabled soldiers. Peer-reviewed orthopedic research programs have become critical to the treatment of our wounded servicemen and women returning from the Middle East.
 
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