Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) - Pulmonary edema

and decreased function commonly follow severe trauma. ARDS

can be a result of direct (aspiration, inhalation, etc.) insults.
Fat Emboli Syndrome (FES) - A form of ARDS that follows major
long bone fractures (0.5-2% of patients with multiple fractures).

Pulmonary Embolism - Thromboembolic disease is the most on

complication following surgery on the extremities.
Compartment syndrome fasciotomy

Bleeding Disorders - (DIC).

GI Complications - Can be a result of the trauma itself (the spleen

is the most commonly injured organ with blunt trauma.)

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) - Pain, swelling,

discoloration, and stiffness of the affected extremity.

Late Complications - Can be systemic or involve local soft tissue,

bones, and joints. Myosotis ossificans can follow injuries.
Posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Immobilisation hypercalcemia.

Pathologic Fractures

Pathologic fractures occur through abnormal bone. Most of these

fractures involve the elderly (osteoporosis is the most common
cause), but should be suspected in any patient when minimal
trauma causes a major fracture. Repeated fractures, a history of
prior malignancies, increased pain, and patients with metabolic
  disorders.

(See case 8 in the cases section for more information about

pathological fracture in malignancy).

Click to see pot from Case 8

Systemic Skeletal Disease.

Benign Local Lesion - Generally should be removed after fracture

healing if it caused a pathologic fracture (except in the hand).
Malignant Primary Bone Disease.

Metastatic Disease - The second most common cause of

pathologic fractures. The most common primary tumours involved
are breast, lung, thyroid, prostate, and kidney.

Stress Fractures - Stress fractures are the result of repetitive

loading below the yield strength and are in elderly women
(insufficiency fractures), athletes, and military recruits (fatigue
fractures), steroid use.