Assessment of epidemiological risk factors of humeral fractures using x-ray findings of patients presenting at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria: A 2-year review

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Humeral fractures are among the most common fractures occurring today. In Nigeria, humeral fractures have been reported to account for nearly 3% of all fractures in adults and for about 20% of all fractures in some populations. This is expected to triple in the next three decades. This study aimed to assess the pattern of humeral fractures in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Irrua, between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, to provide baseline epidemiological data that can help practitioners prepare for effective treatment and management of humeral fractures.

MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study was a retrospective descriptive study of records of humeral fracture patients who had x-rays done to determine the pattern of humeral fractures while being managed at ISTH, Irrua over the 2 years. All 35 cases that met the inclusion criteria were selected for the study. The resulting data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and presented in distribution tables.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The result of this study shows that the incidence of humeral fracture was higher in males, while the adult age group (18 to 59 years) was the most affected by humeral fractures (n = 23, 65.70%). Road Transport Accidents were the leading cause of humeral fractures (n = 25, 71.40%) while the midshaft fractures of the humerus were more prevalent. There is a need for those in charge of healthcare planning at ISTH, Irrua to ensure that equipment and manpower needed for the treatment of humeral fractures are readily available and traffic authorities could devise means of reducing the incidence of Road Transport Accidents.