Abstract
Trauma has assumed a pre-eminent epidemic proportion in the hierarchy of diseases afflicting the growing populace in Nigeria. Research into traumatic dislocations is relatively small. Road traffic accident is the commonest cause of traumatic dislocation in Nigeria currently. Human factors and collapse of road infrastructures are the major reasons. Young, productive, adult males are still the most affected while the rarity among children is again highlighted. Careful and detailed evaluation of patients is advised as certain conditions can mask the presence of a dislocation. Lack of diagnostic and therapeutic facilities in most centres in Nigeria makes this difficult, with clinicians resorting to clinical evaluation only and probably supported by only plain X-rays in some cases. Most cases are amenable to closed surgical management. Identification of long term complications is a major challenge, because of the poor follow up culture of our patients. Good road design and maintenance, enforcement of road regulations, manpower development and improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic facilities in all centres will reduce the burden of traumatic dislocations on the populace.
Highlights
The loss of anatomical congruence of bones in a joint or a complete disruption of a joint following trauma is referred to as traumatic dislocation
A reasonable number of patients that sustain trauma and orthopaedic injuries in Nigeria do notpresent early to the hospital, Injuries arising from falls are quite often closed or without open wounds and are considered “not serious”, so they patronize traditional bone-setter’s (TBS) homes, only to present in the our hospitals when complications they cannot cope with supervenes, such as sepsis, avascular necrosis (AVN) old nerve injuries occurs
Previous reports [15] from Western Nigeria in the late 70 s showed a male preponderance in trauma and traumatic joint dislocation
Summary
The loss of anatomical congruence of bones in a joint or a complete disruption of a joint following trauma is referred to as traumatic dislocation. The bones are held together by tough fibrous bands called ligaments. When these disruptions and losses of articular alignment are incomplete, it is referred to as Subluxation. Trauma and its related conditions represent a major epidemic of non-communicable disease in the present era It is no longer considered accidental but is a part of the price we pay for technological progress. Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability for people under 45 years in the industrialized world [2] [3] These rates are declining in developed countries, but injuries are important and largely neglected health problem in developing countries [4] like Nigeria. Attitudes to trauma care and management, challenges that orthopaedic surgeons face in the evaluation and management of patients in Nigeria were highlighted in this paper
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