Fracture of Limbs Bones in a Town in Post Conflict (Case of Bukavu Town)

Abstract

Background: Rapid urbanization and increasing fleet in low-income countries are the basis of the higher rate of trauma and fractures. In a post conflict environment, the abnormal movement of firearms and poverty from them may change the configuration's epidemiological, anatomical and clinical fractures of the limbs bones as well as their care. Goal: To make an inventory on the fractures of the limb bones in Bukavu town, a town in post armed conflict. Method: This work is transversal, retrospective and descriptive on 500 fractures of the limbs bones recorded on a period of 3 months from 1 st June to 31 st August 2013. Twenty investigators went around different places of Bukavu town to interview and complete a research protocol ad hoc. In total, we recorded 500 subjects with 570 fractures of the limb bones. Results: The average age is 29.4 years old and 37% are male fractured. The main circumstances of occurrence of the fracture of the limbs bones are the falls (31.7%), firearms (22.2%) followed closely by road traffic accidents (21.9%). Students (38.6%) and the unemployed (29.4%) are most victims' fractures of limb bones. The forearm bones (31.7%) and leg bones (27.2%) are most concerned, 52.2% fractured turned to modern medicine against 41.8% for traditional medicine. Conclusion: The fractures of the limbs bones in Bukavu mainly concern young male subjects. They occur with the waning of a fall and preferentially affect the bones of the forearm. Good governance would reduce the incidence of fractures of the limbs bones and their assessment.

Fracture of Limbs Bones in a Rural and Post Conflict Health Zone

“…The age of our population is lower than other authors [7]. But our age results are close to those reported by some papers [5] [8] [9] [10]. The age of our study population is too young in contrast to high-income countries where age is bimodal due to the aging of the population, and particularly among those females because of induced osteoporosis by menopause [11] [12].…”

“…The age of our study population is too young in contrast to high-income countries where age is bimodal due to the aging of the population, and particularly among those females because of induced osteoporosis by menopause [11] [12]. The young age in our study could be explained by the fact that this part of the population is very active and very exposed to violent accidents [5].…”

“…First, in view of the insecurity in eastern DRC, the rural exodus is full swing and led to the spill of potentially displaced unemployed wars in the Bukavu town and surrounding territories. This occupational category, Open Journal of Orthopedics generally uneducated wandering around in search of livelihood, is prone to injuries of any kind [5]. Indeed, the low socioeconomic level is an essential factor in the incidence of the road traffic fracture [17] [19].…”

Overview of Epidemiological and Etiological Amputation in Kisangani Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

“…We believe this category of the population, lack of adequate financial resources, consult later when the disease has already evolved and often in an irreversible stage, indicating the amputation. On the other hand, accidents of traffic occurring frequently in unemployed subjects [14] [15] can explain this amputation rate in this occupational category.…”

“…In addition, the lower limbs are conventionally known as the predilection of diabetic arterial disease [4] [9]. Also, the legs are exposed to road traffic accidents because they are at the height of bumpers and tire's rolling machines [14].…”