Epidemiology of Orthopaedic Fractures and Other Traumatic Injuries among Patients Admitted in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Orthopaedic fractures and traumatic injuries are a growing concern for healthcare systems worldwide. Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) are among the top five causes of illness and mortality in South East Asian nations. Trauma caused by other factors, such as accidents at work or home, falls, and assaults, significantly contribute to overall mortality and morbidity. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of traumatic injuries with associated factors and find significant orthopaedic fracture patterns. Material & Methods: This study was a retrospective observational study that was conducted on 208 patients who were admitted to the department of orthopaedics at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital during the study period between April 2004 and June 2007 those who fulfilled the selection criteria were enrolled in this study. All data were processed and analyzed with the help of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 25. The data were expressed as frequency and percentage in tables and graphs. Results: During the study period total number of study patients were 208 where 131 (62.98%) patients were male, and 77(37.02%) were female. The majority, 53 (25.48%) of the patients, were aged between 31-40 years. RTAs were responsible for 92 cases (44.23%) of all traumatic orthopaedic injuries and followed by falls accounting for 42 patients (20.19%) of injuries. Majority 46(22.12%) of the patients had fractures in femur, second majority 38(18.27%) patients had fracture in tibia/fibula. The most common fracture site being the lower limbs (58 cases, 27.88 %). Conclusion: The study concluded that the incidence of traumatic orthopaedic injuries was higher in young male adults compared to all other study groups. The three most frequent causes of injuries were falls, RTAs, and assaults were the most prevalent form of injury. The most frequently damaged bones are the femur and tibia/fibula.