@article{ref1,
title="Department of Veterans Affairs compensation and medical care benefits accorded to veterans with major limb loss",
journal="Journal of rehabilitation research and development",
year="2010",
author="Maynard, Charles and Flohr, Brad and Guagliardo, Tony A. and Martin, Chris H. and McFarland, Lynne V. and Pruden, Jonathan D. and Reiber, Gayle E.",
volume="47",
number="4",
pages="403-408",
abstract="Veterans injured in theaters of combat operations are eligible for benefits, including medical care and compensation. This article describes veterans with service-connected disability for major lower- and/or upper-limb loss resulting from combat-field-associated injuries sustained in the Vietnam war, Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). Using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Compensation and Pension Mini-Master file, we identified 2,690 veterans who in August 2007 received compensation for loss of one or more limbs. More than 97% sustained their injuries in Vietnam; most were young men who served in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps. All but 5% had at least 50% combined service-connected disability and nearly half had a 100% rating. In addition to limb loss, one of the most prevalent compensable conditions was posttraumatic stress disorder, present in 46% of OIF/OEF and 20% of Vietnam veterans. Of these veterans, 82% visited VA outpatient clinics in 2007, although only 4% were hospitalized. A special obligation exists to those who have sustained serious injuries related to combat; this responsibility extends for the life of the servicemember and beyond to his or her spouse and dependents.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0748-7711",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}