Objectives: This study is to compare the outcomes of pre-operative skeletal and skin traction in adult femoral shaft fractures awaiting surgical fixation within two weeks of presentation to the Accident Center of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.Methods: This study was a clinical trial on 86 recruited patients with closed femoral shaft fractures sustained within 24 hours of presentation grouped into 2 groups. Descriptive and inferential statistics comprising frequency, percentage, Chi-square, independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used in analysing the data.Results: Of the total number of patients involved in the study, 74% (n=64) were males and 26% (n=22) were females with a mean age of 39.49 (SD ±15). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean visual analogue scale (VAS) pain assessment between the Skin traction group and Trans-tibia skeletal traction group after traction. With regards to complications, the difference between the Skin traction group and the Skeletal traction group was statistically significant (P=0.001). Moreover, the mean blood loss compared with the open type of reduction in the Transtibia skeletal traction group was significantly less than the Skin traction group (p=0.000).Conclusion: This study has shown that both Skeletal traction and Skin traction were equally effective in controlling pre-operative pain in adult patients with femoral shaft fractures and does not affect intra-operative blood loss and postoperative management. Therefore, pre-operative Skin traction can be considered a useful and cost-effective method of maintaining alignment and pain relief in adult femoral shaft fractures.Keywords: Skin traction, Trans-tibia skeletal, reamed Intramedullary nailing, Intra-operative blood loss, Visual Analogue ScaleFunding: Personal Funding

Background: Complete fractures of the forearm have the potential to displace and angulate with overriding fracture fragments. Maintaining acceptable reduction is not always possible, and re- displacement or re-angulation is the most commonly reported complication. Factors responsible for the re-displacement after an initial acceptable reduction have not been clearly defined. The study aimed to determine the factors that influence early re-displacement of paediatric diaphyseal forearm fractures in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.Methods: A prospective study in a cohort of 72 children below the age of 12 years with diaphyseal forearm fracture attending the Orthopaedic clinic were followed with close reduction casting from April 2017-December, 2017. Factors analysed included demographics, initial fracture features and the radiographic indices of the cast quality.Results: 93.1% (67) of the fractures were because of the children falling on an outstretched arm. Majority of the children had a fracture of the distal 1/3 of the radius (n=38, 52.6%). The overall C.I was 0.8 (SD 0.1). The only significant predictor for predicting re-displacement was children falling on an outstretched hand (p-value=0.0).Conclusion: This study has shown that the degree of initial displacement and the ability to achieve good reduction with a well moulded cast, constitute the major factors for early re-displacement of paediatric forearm fracturesKeywords: cast index, intermedullary nailing, elastic stable intramedullary nail, open reduction, internal fixationFunding: Personal funding

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Background: Objective of this prospective study is to report results of treatment of open tibia fractures in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Accra Ghana.Patients and Methods: In this prospective study 47 patients were considered over a 6-month period from February 2012 to July 2012, and each patient was however followed up for at least 3 months. Treatment of these fractures was guided by the unit protocol.Results: Out of the 47 patients, 35 (74%) had a good outcome and 12 (26%) had complications.Conclusion: The results of treatment of open fracture of tibia in this study are encouraging (with 74% of patients having a good outcome). Considering that three decades ago an open fracture of the tibia in Ghana had the common fate of surgical Amputation, Sepsis and Death. Further improvements in treatment of these fractures with early antibiotics, Debridement and irrigation andmodern stabilization methods are recommended.