Age, sex, causal and injury patterns in tarsometatarsal dislocations: A literature review of over 2000 cases

Abstract

BackgroundThe causes and mechanisms of tarsometatarsal (TMT) dislocations are poorly characterized. Unfortunately, the rarity of these injuries makes it difficult and costly to gather the epidemiological data needed to better understand the populations at risk and the circumstances under which injury is most likely to occur. MethodologyTo address this issue, literature reports of TMT dislocations were identified and analyzed to generate statistical descriptions of the common causes of injury, the age and sex of those injured, and the pattern of injury. Over 2000 injuries were identified from 187 articles. ResultsThe analysis reveals that over 40% of injuries were related to traffic accidents. Based on the Hardcastle classification system, more than 60% of TMT dislocation were partial (type B) injuries. Over 55% of the injured were between 15 and 35 years of age, and males were injured more than twice as frequently. Conversely, the victims of falls tended to be older and represented a larger proportion of females. The age and sex of those injured by TMT dislocations vary by cause. ConclusionAn improved understanding of the epidemiologic patterns will benefit research into the mitigation and prevention of these injuries.