Epidemiology of Orthopaedic Injuries in Cases of Road Traffic Accidents

Abstract

Background: Road traffic accidents are on the rise due to rapid urbanization, motorization, lack of appropriate road engineering, poor awareness levels, non existent injury prevention programs, and poor enforcement of traffic laws. From mild to severe injuries, a road traffic accident can have a significant social and economic impact on the individual, family and the society. It is believed that the outcome of this study should help in identifying risk factors, set priorities for prevention and aid in management of cases. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross sectional prospective study conducted over a period of 6 months Results: One hundred and twenty seven RTA victims were studied during the period. The most commonly affected age group was 21-40 years. Men were more involved in RTAs than women. Most common fracture was tibial fracture and most common fractures were seen in people who drove motorcycles. Accidents were most commonly seen during the time period of 6pm to 6am. Conclusion: Computerised trauma registry is needed urgently to highlight risk factors, circumstances, chain of events leading to accidents. Strict licensure procedure should be followed and minimum level of education should be imparted especially to younger age groups. Doing so will be helpful in policy making and health management in India.