Two Options
Numerous case reports and journal articles later, I'm contemplating two separate case reports for my final project in the quest for my DPT. The position I'm in now is trying to decide between two trauma patients and their complicated surgical procedures, and the interesting approach taken to treat them. A while ago I had no idea what case to report on, and now that I've read (several times, cover to cover) a book on how to write a case report, I'm torn between two amazing case studies to present.
In one case, a young woman suffered a major fall while skiing, and multiple pelvic fractures with associated nerve injury. The surgical technique was unknown to me, but after doing my homework I learned why the nerve injury may have occurred. Additionally, with therapy slowly progressing the patient, we instituted a different approach to assist this young lady in her full recovery.
In the other case, a young woman suffered a GSW to the head in a violent act, with subsequent mandibular fractures and associated TMJ restrictions after having her jaw wired shut for more than a month. In this case I didn't do the evaluation, but I did eventually take on this case since I enjoy difficult cases and collaborating with other therapists to achieve the best outcome. This patient was eventually referred to my family's orthodontist to assist with her malocclusion, and I can say that I learned so much by working with other professionals outside the realm of physical therapy.
So here I stand, with literature searches for two different, yet similar cases. I believe that both can add to the body of knowledge of our field, and provide suggestions for future research. Both of these young ladies have become very close friends of mine, and I'm amazed at the strength and perseverance of both. The most probable outcome is that I will report on both of these cases, since both have added to my professional and personal growth.