Abstract:

Background: Orthopedic fractures are a common daily acute health issue. Improper initial management of fractures can lead to significant long-term morbidity and potentially, mortality. A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a partial or complete break in the continuity of the bone. Worldwide it is estimated that each year as many as 50 million are injured and results showed that injuries to the extremities were the commonest (72.0%) where by the commonest musculoskeletal injury bone fractures (66.8%), with tibia and fibula fractures being predominant (30.4%).

Objectives: To determine the annual prevalence of fractures attended at emergency department of BMC, to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of patients diagnosed with fractures, types of fractures and the anatomical locations of the fractures.

Methodology: This will be descriptive retrospective hospital bases cross sectional study emergency department of BMC and hence these data will help the management to formulate proper budgetary planning in terms of medical supplies, human resources, building more orthopedics and trauma wards. The study will also help to create community education strategies on preventive measures against road traffic accidents that ultimately lead to these injuries, as well as inform us about the distribution (according to age, sex) so as to know which groups target.

Results: A total of 889 fractures records of injuries patients that attended emergency department were analyzed. Among 889 majority were aged between 0-9 (21.7%), and males to female ratio was 1:2.3 in which majority closed fractures i.e. 685 (77.1%). Most common type of fracture for all age groups was femur 262 out of 889 which is 29.5%, this was followed by fracture of tibia and fibula which made a total of 257 i.e. 28.9%. The incidence of radius fractures was 106 (11.2%), humerus other than supracondylar was 97 (109%), and supracondylar, pelvic, patella, metatarsal and ankle were the least common.

Conclusion: Children 0-9 years were commonly involved. Majority of fractures were common in males probably because they are involved in activities that predispose them to accidents and risks for injuries i.e. fracture in which majority were closed fractures and common anatomical location of fracture for all age groups was femur, followed by fracture of tibia and fibula then radius fractures, and humerus other than supracondylar, supracondylar, pelvic, patella, metatarsal and ankle were the least common.

Recommendation: A detailed study should be conducted for each anatomical bone and specific age group. Diagnosis is often straight forward, but certain patterns of injury may be more complex and elude detection. Always specification of the anatomical location on a specific bone should be considered in register books.