Surgery · Public Health · 2 h ago
Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeons Report Broad Support for Firearm Injury Prevention
A cross-sectional survey of 503 Orthopaedic Trauma Association members found that 85.3% supported association-led, nonpartisan advocacy to reduce firearm injuries. Nearly half of respondents reported owning a firearm, and respondents identified safety training and secure storage as prevention priorities.
- Survey response rate was 13.5%.
- Nearly all active respondents had treated firearm injuries.
- 85.3% supported OTA-led, nonpartisan advocacy.
- Safety training and secure storage were priorities.
Researchers conducted an anonymous, web-based cross-sectional survey of all 3,721 active Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) members from April 10 to July 7, 2025. The 27-item questionnaire and open-ended prompts covered firearm ownership and storage, clinical experience, safety training, and views on injury prevention and OTA advocacy. Descriptive findings were compared with previously published surveys of other surgical specialties.
A total of 503 members responded, a 13.5% response rate. Among 412 clinically active respondents, 394 (95.6%) said they had treated firearm-related injuries. Overall, 47.4% reported firearm ownership, while 85.3% supported OTA-led, nonpartisan advocacy to reduce firearm injuries, deaths, and disability. Respondents highlighted firearm safety training, secure storage, and mental health integration as prevention priorities.
The findings describe member perspectives and provide a baseline for potential OTA initiatives; they do not assess whether particular prevention strategies reduce injuries. The low response rate may limit how well responses represent the full membership. The authors characterize the evidence as Prognostic Level V.
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The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American Volume: Perspectives of Orthopaedic Trauma Association Members on Firearm Injury Prevention ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.