| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2009 | Volume
: 12
| Issue : 2 | Page : 78-83 |
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Pattern of traumatic orthopaedic injuries in paediatric patients at ecwa hospital, Egbe, Nigeria
BS Agaja1, BF Ehalaiye2
1 Department of Surgery, University of llorin Teaching Hospital, P.O. Box 6462, llorin, Nigeria
2 ECWA Hospital, P.M.B. 202, Egbe, Kogi State, Nigeria
Correspondence Address:
B S Agaja
Department of Surgery, University of llorin Teaching Hospital, P.O. Box 6462, llorin
Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
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Background: In Nigeria, data on traumatic injuries of paediatric patients in hospitals outside the teaching hospitals are very scanty. We studied the pattern of paediatric traumatic orthopaedic injuries in a secondary health care level hospital in Northern Nigeria.
Methods: A total 106 traumatic paediatrics orthopaedic cases at ECWA Hospital Egbe, a mission hospital located in rural part of Northern Nigeria from 1 st September, 1990 to 31 st December, 1993 were reviewed retrospectively.
Results: One hundred and six patients with traumatic orthopaedic injuries were treated were retrospectively reviewed during a period of 3 years and 4 months. There were 60 males (56.6%) and 46 females (43.3%). The age groups involved were 10-14 years (40.6%), 6-9 years (31.1%) and 1-5 years (25.5%). The group 0-1 year old is rarely involved in trauma (2.8%). The sites involved in fractures of the upper limb were supracondylar part of the humerus (20.0%), radius and ulna (12.3%) and humeral shaft (6.6%). The commonest bones involved in fractures in the lower limbs were femur (9.4%), tibia and fibula (9.4%). Traumatic injuries of the hands and feet were rare in this study. The flat bones were not affected. The left upper and lower limbs were more involved in trauma (55.7%) than the right upper and lower limbs (39.6%), a ratio of 3:2. There were more cases of the upper limbs trauma (69.8%) than to the lower limbs (29.2%) giving a ratio of 5:2.
Conclusion: Children are most vulnerable to trauma as they get closer to adolescence. Preventive measures against all forms of trauma should be available for children during this period.
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