Severe and penetrating traumatic brain injury in the context of war.

Our data suggests that traumatic brain injury (TBI) may account for up to one third of battle-related injuries in today's war. Although the majority of these injuries are classified as mild in severity, service members with severe or penetrating TBI can be faced with many challenges. Injuries sustained on the battlefield require a slightly different approach than the TBI care that is traditionally seen in a civilian setting. This article presents the range of care that occurs beginning on the battlefield and continuing to state-of-the-art rehabilitation within the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs Polytrauma System of Care.