A Report of Medical Support during the Great East Japan Earthquake (From the viewpoint of a orthopedic surgeon)

• Published in: Orthopedics & Traumatology Vol. 61; no. 3; pp. 453 - 455
• Main Authors: Tomita, Shinjiro, Urakawa, Nobuhiro, Kan, Masakazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: West-Japanese Society of Orthopedics & Traumatology 25.09.2012
• Subjects: Great East Japan Earthquake; medical support; orthopedic surgeon
• ISSN: 0037-1033; 1349-4333
• DOI: 10.5035/nishiseisai.61.453

We report our participation as orthopedic surgeons in the rescue operation for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. Our medical support team worked at the Saka General Hospital and neighboring shelters in the devastated areas of Miyagi Prefecture from April 19 to 22. We provided health checkup and medical care to victims staying at the shelters, as well as medical aid to the Saka General Hospital, and reviewed the significance of the support provided from the orthopedic viewpoint. We experienced 18 refugees and 17 cases complaining of locomotive symptoms; lumbago in 12, neck stiffness in nine, and knee pain in five. Later, another 15 new cases (88.2%) developed locomotive symptoms, At the Saka General Hospital, we experienced two cases operated for femoral trochanteric fracture. Even after the acute phase of the disaster, we found that orthopedic intervention is important for the many victims with locomotive symptoms.