Der Unfallchirurg
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Heterotopic ossifications (HO) are defined as the abnormal formation of bone in soft tissues. It can be classified into acquired and congenital forms. The acquired form, of which the pathogenesis is not fully understood, is often diagnosed in patients with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, musculo-skeletal trauma or injuries associated with burns. ⋯ Imaging techniques, foremost bone szintigraphy, are mostly used for verification of the diagnosis. Local radiotherapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the classical therapeutic and prophylactic options. In advanced stages, surgical resection may be required.
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With regard to diagnosis and treatment, there is no general agreement about the management of mild head injury. The value of clinical discoveries and the indications for x-ray investigations are controversially discussed, as well as the risks of radiation exposure. Important criteria in the judgment of mild head injury are knowledge of its possible stages over time (primary and secondary unconsciousness and symptom free interval), the dynamics of secondary intracranial injury development (epidural or subdural hematoma, brain contusion, brain swelling, brain edema), and the priority given to neurologic findings, accompanying vegetative symptoms and computerized tomography and x-ray results. By means of these parameters, an algorithm for appropriately managing the diagnostics and processing of patients with mild head injury has been created.