An Epidemiological Analysis of Orthopedic Fractures, a Retrospective Single-Center Study from Jordan

Abstract

Background: Studies on musculoskeletal fractures are limited in Jordan. Therefore, this study includes all orthopedic fractures in the tertiary center from Jordan. Fractures are evaluated for etiologies, age distribution, gender, mechanism of injury, and associated injuries. Therefore, this could assist in discovering the needs of our healthcare system and endorse recommendations on fracture treatment and prevention. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study reviewed 3,387 fractures admitted from July 2018 to December 2021 at King Hussein Medical City in Amman, the capital of Jordan. Fractures were assessed regarding age, gender, mechanism of injury and variation across years. Fractures were allocated into eleven bones where forearm, hand, leg and foot were considered individual bones to facilitate analysis. Results: The males represented 57.8% of patients. The lower limb was affected in 47.4%, the femur was the most commonly affected bone (26.6%), and the proximal femur accounted for 20.9% of all fractures. Men were more likely to sustain injuries to long bone, hand and foot injuries, while women were at higher risk of fragility fractures. Most hospitalizations were in patients over the age of fifty. Two-thirds of injuries were induced by simple falls. Open fractures were reported in 7.3% of fractures and neurological and vascular injuries in 1.9% and 1.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Multicenter and epidemiological studies are needed to adequately assess orthopedic fractures in Jordan so that we can establish guidelines for fracture prevention and treatment.