Trauma causes individual patterns of injury and involves shock, fractures, soft tissue and organ injuries. Treatment therefore requires the joint effort of emergency medicine, orthopedic and trauma surgery, critical care medicine and rehabilitation. Both scientific progress and the in-depth experimental and clinical research within individual disciplines contribute to the ongoing continuous improvement of trauma care.
The European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery aims to open an interdisciplinary forum that allows for the scientific exchange between basic and clinical science related to pathophysiology, diagnostics and treatment of traumatized patients. The journal covers all aspects of clinical management, operative treatment and related research of traumatic injuries.
Clinical and experimental papers on issues relevant for the improvement of trauma care are published. Reviews, original articles, short communications and letters allow the appropriate presentation of major and minor topics. The papers published are allocated to one of the following sections of the journal:
Biomaterials, Experimental Research, Foot and Ankle Trauma, Hand Trauma, Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, Disaster & Military Surgery, Neurotrauma, Pediatric Trauma, Pelvic Trauma, Polytrauma, Reconstructive Surgery, Spine Trauma, Sports Injuries, Skeletal Trauma, Visceral Trauma
The European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery invites articles not only from Europe but also from non-European countries. The journal is peer-reviewed according to international standards and each paper submitted will be scrutinized by two or three referees and a biostatistical consultant. For articles describing important new findings, accelerated peer-review and fast track publication are made available.

Editors
I. Marzi (Editor-in-Chief) 
Department of Trauma, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery
University Hospital
Johann Wolfgang Goethe University
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
marzi@trauma.uni-frankfurt.de
A. Leppäniemi
Department of Surgery
Institute of Clinical Medicine
University of Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland
ari.leppaniemi@hus.fi
P. M. Rommens
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology
University Medical Center
Johannes Gutenberg-University
Mainz, Germany
pol.rommens@unimedizin-mainz.de
F. Turégano
General Surgery 2 and Emergency Surgery
University General Hospital Gregorio Marañón 
University Complutense of Madrid
Madrid, Spain
Fernando.turegano@salud.madrid.org
Editorial Office
Prof. Dr. Ingo Marzi
University Hospital Frankfurt
Goethe University
D-60590 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Phone: +49 69 6301 6123
Fax: +49 69 6301 6439
e-mail: ejt@trauma.uni-frankfurt.de
Editorial Assistant: Liesa Schmitz

Associate Editors
Z. Balogh
Department of Surgery and Traumatology 
John Hunter Hospital & University of Newcastle 
Newcastle, Australia
R. Coimbra
School of Medicine 
Loma Linda University 
Loma Linda, USA
Dirk Henrich
Department of Trauma, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery
University Hospital
Johann Wolfgang Goethe University
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
R. Latifi
Westchester Medical Center
Valhalla, USA
L. Leenen
Department of Trauma,
University Medical Centre Utrecht 
Utrecht, The Netherlands
T. Mittlmeier
Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery
Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik
Universität Rostock
Rostock, Germany
Editores Emeriti
O. Trentz, Zurich, Switzerland
S. Lennquist, Linköping, Sweden
J. M. Rueger, Osnabrück, Germany
Section Editors 
Biostatistics
R. Lefering
Fakultät für Gesundheit (Department für Humanmedizin) 
Institut für Forschung in der Operativen Medizin 
Universität Witten/Herdecke
Cologne, Germany

F. Abi Zidan
Department of Surgery
United Arab Emirates University
Al-Ain, UAE

Critical Care
D. Demetriades
Department of Surgery
Division of Acute Care Surgery 
(Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care)
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, USA

R. Ivatury
Department of Surgery
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
Richmond, USA

C. Waydhas
Clinic for Emergency Surgery
University Hospital Essen
Essen, Germany

Disaster and Military Surgery
I. Ashkenazi
Surgery B Department
Hillel Yaffe Medical Center
Hadera, Israel
M. Bemelman
Department of Surgery 
University Medical Center Utrecht 
Utrecht, Netherlands
P. Örtenwall
Department of Surgery
Institute of clinical sciences
The Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Göteborg
Göteborg, Sweden

Emergency Surgery
P. Greiffenstein
Surgery-Division of Critical Care
Louisiana State University
New Orleans, USA

S. Stawicki
Department of Reseach & Innovation
St Luke's University Health Network
Bethlehem, USA
P. Vassiliu
4th Surgical Clinic
"Attikon" University Hospital
University of Athens
Athens, Greece
G. Velmahos
Department of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, USA
Experimental Research
M. van Griensven
Experimental Trauma Surgery
Klinikum rechts der Isar
Technische Universität München
Munich, Germany

Lower Extremity Trauma
M. Keel
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Berne University Hospital
Berne, Switzerland

R. Komadina
Department of Traumatology
General & Teaching Hospital Celje
Celje, Slovenia
P. Reynders
Dept. Ortopedics & Traumatology
UZ Brugmann
Brussels, Belgium
P. Stahel
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Denver Health Medical Center
University of Colorado
School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado, USA
A.B. van Vugt
Dept. Surgery
Medisch Spectrum Twente
Enschede, The Netherlands
K. Wendt
University Medical Center Groningen
Groningen, The Netherlands
Upper Extermity Trauma
J. Bartoníček
Department of Orthopaedics
1st Faculty of Medicine
Charles University and Central Military Hospital Prague
Prague, Czech Republic

J. Windolf
Department of Trauma and Hand Surgery
Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf, Germany
Neurotrauma
E. Rickels
Neurotraumatologie
Allgemeines Krankenhaus Celle
Celle, Germany

Pediatric Trauma
U. Rolle
Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology
Johann Wolfgang Goethe University
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
P. Schmittenbecher
Kinderchirurgische Klinik
Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe gGmbH
Karlsruhe, Germany

Pelvic Trauma
P. Giannoudis
Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
Leeds General Infirmary
Leeds, UK

A. Hofmann
Klinik für Unfallchirurgie und Orthopädie 1 
Westpfalz-Klinikum
Kaiserslautern, Germany
T. Lustenberger
Department of Trauma-, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery
Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Polytrauma
F. Hildebrand
Department of Trauma
University Hospital Aachen
Aachen, Germany

H.C. Pape
Klinik für Traumatologie´
UniversitätsSpital Zürich
Zurich, Switzerland

Reconstructive Surgery
R.S. Breederveld
Burn Center
Red Cross Hospital
Beverwijk, Netherlands
J. Frank
Department Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery
University of Frankfurt
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Spine Trauma
V. Buehren
General surgery and trauma surgery
Murnau Trauma Center
Murnau, Germany
Sports Injuries
A. Imhoff
Sports Orthopaedics Department and Clinic
Rechts der Isar Hospital
Technical University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Thoracic Trauma 
T. C. Hardcastle
Department of Surgery
Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital
Durban, South Africa

Abdominal Trauma
T. O’Keeffe
Department of Surgery
University of Arizona
Tucson, USA
A.B. Peitzman
Department of Surgery
Clinical Research Office for Surgery and Trauma
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, USA

L. Riddez
Karolinska Institutet
Solna, Sweden
S. Uranüs
Division of General Surgery
Medical University of Graz
Graz, Austria

Vascular Trauma
J. Asensio
CHI Health Clinic
Trauma Surgery Creighton
Omaha, NE, USA
B. Dorweiler
Department Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
Universitätsmedizin Mainz
Mainz, Germany
Geriatric Trauma
J. D. Bastian
Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery
Inselspital
University of Berne
Berne, Switzerland
Crano-Maxillofacial Trauma
S. Ghanaati
Maxillofacial Surgery
Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt
Frankfurt/Main, Germany

Advisory Board
B. Al-Nawas
Klinik und Poliklinik für Mund-
Kiefer- und Gesichtschirurgie
Plastische Operationen
Universitätsmedizin Mainz
Mainz, Germany

M. Acharya 
Trauma and Orthopaedic Department
North Bristol NHS Trust
Bristol, UK
G. Barmparas
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA, USA

A. Baranowski
Center for Orthopaedics and Traumatology
University Medical Center Mainz
Mainz, Germany
P. Biberthaler
Trauma Surgery
Klinikum rechts der Isar
Technical University Munich
Munich, Germany
J. Blum
Klinik für Unfall-, Hand- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie
Klinikum Worms
Worms, Germany
B. Bouillon
Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
University Witten/Herdecke
Cologne, Germany
S. O. Dietz
Zentrum für muskuloskeletale Chirurgie
Universitätsmedizin Mainz
Mainz, Germany
R. Dutton
Anesthesia Quality Institute
Chicago, USA
M. Hartel
Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery
University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf
Hamburg, Germany

F. Hartmann
Zentrum für Unfallchirurgie und Orthopädie
Gemeinschaftsklinikum Mittelrhein
Koblenz, Germany
M. Hessmann
Klinikum Fulda
Fulda, Germany
R. Hoffmann
BG Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main gGmbH
Frankfurt, Germany

W. Lehmann
Klinik für Unfallchirurgie, Orthopädie und Plastische Chirurgie
Universitätsmedizin Göttingen
Göttingen, Germany
C. Loinaz
Surgery
Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre
Madrid, Spain
M. Maegele
Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery
Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC)
University Witten/Herdecke
Cologne, Germany
R. Maier
Dept. Surgery
Harborview Medical Center
Seattle, USA
R. Mosheiff
Dept. Orthopaedic Surgery
Hadassah Hospital
Jerusalem, Israel
C. Müller
Klinik für Unfall-, Hand-
und Orthopädische Chirurgie
Städt. Klinikum Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe, Germany

S. Nijs
Dept. Traumatology
University Hospital Leuven
Leuven, Belgium
U. Obertacke
Dept. Orthopädisch-Unfallchirurgisches Zentrum
University Medical Centre Mannheim
Mannheim, Germany
M. Perl
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
Erlangen, Germany
P. Petrone
Surgery
NYU Winthrop Hospital
Mineola, USA
T. Pohlemann
Klinik für Unfall-, Hand- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie
Universitätsklinikum Saarland
Homburg/Saar, Germany
K.-J. Prommersberger
Klinik für Handchirurgie
Bad Neustadt, Germany

B. Relja
Dept. Trauma, Hand & Reconstructive Surgery
University Hospital of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
S. Rose
Groupe Chirurgical Ettelbrueck
Ettelbrück, Luxemburg
M. Rüsseler
Department of Trauma-, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery
Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
C. Seebach
Department of Trauma-, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery
Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
W.I. Steudel
Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes 
Medizinische Fakultät
Universität des Saarlandes
Homburg/Saar, Germany

K. Taari
Dept. Urology
Helsinki University Hospital
Helsinki, Finland
P. Talving
Department of Surgery
Tartu University Hospital
Tartu, Estonia

V. Vécsei
Department of Trauma Surgery
Medical University Vienna
Vienna, Austria
J. Verbruggen
Dept. Surgery
University Hospital Maastricht
Maastricht, The Netherlands
E. Voiglio
Monaco
D. Wagner
Centre for Orthopaedics and Traumatology
University Medical Centre Mainz
Mainz, Germany
M. Zago
Dept. General Surgery - Minimally Invasive Unit
Policlinico San Pietro
Milan, Italy