Description:
Background information; this research report explains the prevalence of open tibia fractures among patients managed at KCMC orthopaedic department. It explains the socio-demographic, the major outcomes, the patterns and the age distribution by years. This encompassed all the patients who have been managed at KCMC orthopaedic department from January 2015 to September 2015 in regard to inclusion criteria drawn below.
Objectives: The study objectives were to determine the prevalence of open tibia fractures among patients managed at KCMC orthopaedic department from January to September 2015. This included the demographic characteristics, the outcomes of open tibia fractures and the pattern of fractures among the specific objectives whose answers are well detailed in this report.
Methodology: Hospital based cross sectional retrospective study was used to answer both broad and specific objectives. The study area was KCMC, orthopaedic department, whereby 301 (N=301) patients aged above 16 years with open tibia fractures were included in the study while those who are out of age range with open tibia fractures, pathological fractures and those in the age range with other fracture types were not included in the study.
Results; In this research 301 cases were included in the study, the study results showed that, open tibia fractures constitute the huge percentage of all the fractures of the leg. It accounts for about 49.9% of all the open tibia fractures. The active age group (young adults) with an average age of 26.4+7.2 is the most affected, despite that the elderly group is also significantly affected however to a lesser extent. Males comprise more than three quarter (81.1%) of all the cases being diagnosed with the open tibia fractures at KCMC. MCA was the main culprits. However the segmental pattern of fracture seemed to be leading rather than the comminuted fracture, which has been seen to have a paramount constitution in other studies. The study results will help the hospital to budget the annual cost for the management of open tibia fractures among MCA victim as well as bringing community problem and educate it on its prevention. It will also help the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to plan strategies towards prevention of the occurrence of the condition that costs both Country’s economy and life of the people.
Keywords; prevalence, open, tibia, fracture, motorcycle, accident