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Epidemiology of elderly fractures in a tertiary hospital in Northern Ghana: a 3-year retrospective descriptive review

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European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The incidence of elderly fractures is closely related to the increasing proportion of the elderly population in sub-Saharan Africa, making it a relevant public health concern. Epidemiological profiles of these fractures and treatment options are necessary for resource-poor settings to optimise planning and patient care.

Methods

A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Tamale Teaching Hospital. Data of 69 elderly patients (60 years and above) with fractures admitted to the trauma and orthopaedic unit from January 2017 to December 2019 were collected. Simple descriptive and bivariate analysis was conducted on some variables, whereas the Chi-square was used to test for some associations for categorical data.

Results

The mean age of the study participants was 70.3(± 8.6). Elderly males (55.1%) were three times more likely to sustain fractures than females. The primary mechanism of injury was a road traffic accident (RTA) (59.4%), followed by falls from slips (29.0%). There was a significant association between gender and mechanisms (RTA and Falls from slips) of injury (p = 0.002). The most fractured bone was the femur (50.7%). Hip fractures (33.3%) were more common among females than males and mainly among the (71–80) age group. Open fractures were more common among males than females.

Conclusion

RTAs were the most typical cause of fractures in the elderly. Contrary to other studies, males were more commonly involved in accidents than females, albeit females were the majority for hip fractures. Therefore, significant public health policies with resource allocation should address the unmet health needs of this unique age group in our growing populations in low- and middle-income countries.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all staff of the Trauma/Orthopaedic Unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital for making this work possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery/Department Physician Assistant Studies, School of Medicine, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana

    A. D. B. Buunaaim & M. I. S. Bukari

  2. Department of Surgery, Trauma/Orthopaedic Unit, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale, Ghana

    A. D. B. Buunaaim, I. Osman & T. Yempabe

  3. Department of Nursing, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale, Ghana

    W. J. Salisu

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  1. A. D. B. Buunaaim
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Buunaaim, A.D.B., Osman, I., Salisu, W.J. et al. Epidemiology of elderly fractures in a tertiary hospital in Northern Ghana: a 3-year retrospective descriptive review. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 33, 473–479 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-022-03450-5

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