DENVER -- On Tuesday evening, ABC newsman Bob Woodruff spoke about the miraculous recovery he's made from brain injuries suffered in a roadside explosion in Iraq.

Those types of traumatic injuries have become all too common in that war, doctors say. Improvised explosive devices cause concussive injuries that involve forces of acceleration and deceleration, much like a serious car crash.

"The energy from that blast has to get absorbed somewhere. And it gets absorbed within the tissues and the cells and the circuits of the brain," said Dr. Alan Weintraub, the medical director of the Brain Injury Program at Craig Hospital.

High quality medical care has also increased the ratio of injuries to deaths compared with past wars.

One Denver man was a Marine on patrol in Iraq when his vehicle struck an I.E.D. in 2004.

"What I think Americans may not be as aware of is the long-term effects that these injuries have on the lives of these Marines and soldiers who are injured, who return to normal civilian life and try to move forward with their lives. That effect is significant," said Jonathan McMaster.

McMaster said he expects to have lifelong issues with memory and coordination but he believes many other soldiers and Marines have been much more seriously hurt in Iraq.