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Background: Congenital clubfoot is the commonest congenital musculoskeletal malformation of the limbs. In developed nations where most deliveries take place at standard healthcare facilities, diagnosis is usually made at birth and proper documentation and registration done. This is contrary to what obtains in under-developed countries, resulting in significant numbers of missed cases, and largely in under-reporting of the disease. Adequate knowledge of congenital clubfoot among pregnant women would reflect on the health seeking behavior of nursing mothers, leading to early detection and prompt treatment of the disease.Objective: To determine the level of knowledge and perception of congenital clubfoot among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Calabar, NigeriaMethods: Pregnant women attending antenatal sessions at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar were recruited for the study. Healthcare professionals amongst the pregnant women were excluded from the study. Using a structured researcher-administered questionnaire, respondents' basic sociodemographic data as well as their level of awareness and general knowledge of congenital clubfoot including its risk factors and treatment modalities were recorded. Based on their response, respondents' level of awareness and knowledge of clubfoot was categorized into: poor, inadequate and adequate levels.Results: A total of 163 consenting pregnant women who attended antenatal sessions at the antenatal clinic of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital over a 3-month period participated in the study. Majority of the respondents (N = 159, 97.55%) were between the ages of 20 and 39 years. The predominant educational status amongst the respondents was tertiary education (N = 112, 68.71%). Most of the respondents (N = 67, 41.1%) were primigravida. Majority of the respondents (N = 97, 59.51%) had poor general knowledge of congenital clubfoot. There was no significant relationship between respondents' general knowledge of congenital clubfoot and their age (X2 = 5.620, p = 0.326) and educational status (X2 = 9.219, p = 0.351).Conclusion: Poor general knowledge of congenital clubfoot amongst most antenatal clinic attendees in Calabar does not correlate with their age and educational status. Medical education and health awareness campaigns should be incorporated into antenatal sessions in order to increase the awareness of congenital clubfoot among pregnant women.

Background: The commonest mode of public transportation in Uyo is by motorcycle. There are two sizes of motorcycle in common use – the big one (Qlink or Skygo model, made in China) and the small one (C90, made in China). The study was carried out to determine if there is a lower risk of RTI severe enough to be brought to the hospital, attributable to using a small motorcycle.Methods: Motorcycle RTI victims admitted at the Accident and Emergency department of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), were reviewed prospectively over a 15 month period. Three community visual surveys of the proportion of small to large motorcycles were also conducted.Results: A total of 131 RTI victims were reviewed over 15 months. The visual surveys of motorcycles in Uyo revealed that the mean proportion of small to large is 38 to 62, a ratio of 1:1.6. Eighty-three (63.3%) of the 131 RTI’s involved motorcycles. 74 of these occurred in large motorcycles. There was a statistically significant relationship between motorcycle size and occurrence of an RTI severe enough to be brought to hospital.Conclusion: There is a lower risk of RTI severe enough to be brought to hospital, from using a small motorcycle.

Background: Congenital genu recurvatum is a rare anomaly which is diagnosed clinically. Treatment may be non surgical or surgical. Study was aimed at demonstrating the efficacy of non-operative treatment of the condition by manipulation and serial correction with casting.Methodology: This was a prospective study of consecutive patients with congenital genu recurvatum presenting at a teaching hospital over a four year period entered the study. Socio-demographic characteristics of the patients were obtained, they were then examined and investigated. Treatment was by manipulation and serial correction with Plaster of Paris application (POP) which was changed every three weeks until correction of deformity was achieved. Patients were followed up till walking when a final review was done.Results: Five patients were seen over the period of this report. There were 4 females and 1 male; mean age was 14.2days. The deformity affected the right knee in 40%, the left in 20% and was bilateral in 40% of cases. An average of 6 casts over a mean period of 14 weeks (range 10 to 20 weeks) were needed to achieve full correction of the deformities. All the patients had good outcome of treatment without the need for surgery.Conclusion: Congenital genu recurvatum is predominant in the female. In this study, the patients responded excellently to serial manipulation and casting. Surgery was not necessary in of the patients.Key Words: Congenital; Genu recurvatum; Surgery

This study was undertaken as part of a wider prospective study by the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital Trauma Study Group. The specific objective was to highlight the pattern, distribution causative and contributory factors to head injury in our locality and to assess the outcome of treatment. The overall aim was to establish those epidemiological factors which may be targeted in the prevention and improvement of outcome. This paper is the preliminary report of this on-going study. The pattern and distribution of head injuries shows that a typical head injured patient in our locality is a male, aged between 21 and 30 years involved in a motorcycle related accident. Accidents frequently occured between 7 and 9pm and though 75% of patients arrived in hospital within 6 hours of injury, 17% of all cases died probably from suboptimal in-hospital care even in a tertiary centre. None of the patients used a protective helmet or restraining seatbelt. Prevention remains the key management option in these injuries. Nigerian Journal of Surgical Sciences Vol. 17 (1) 2007: pp. 14-20

A prospective study was carried out to ascertain the pattern of soft tissue and skeletal injuries sustained by children at home in Lagos, Nigeria. 182 patients who entered the study sustained 185 injuries . Age ranged from 7days to 14years with mean of 5.17years. Male to female ratio was 1.28:1. Fall was the leading cause of injury accounting for 162 cases (89.0%). Fracture was the most common injury sustained (86.8%) with supracondylar fracture of the humerus being the single most common fracture (28.5%). Injuries sustained by children at home can have far-reaching consequences. Prevention involves active participation of all stakeholders. Nigerian Journal of Surgical Sciences Vol. 17 (1) 2007: pp. 33-36