The Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), was established in September 2009 with funding from the Department of Defense (DOD). It consists of a network of more than 70 clinical centers and a coordinating center based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that collaborates with the DOD and other sponsors to conduct multicenter clinical research studies on the treatment and outcomes of traumatic orthopaedic injuries. The main goal of METRC is to gather evidence to create treatment guidelines for the optimal care of individuals with traumatic extremity injuries, with a focus on improving the clinical, functional, and quality of life outcomes for both military personnel and civilians who have sustained high-energy trauma to the extremities.