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BackgroundWhile the global burden of musculoskeletal injury is increasingly recognized, few epidemiologic studies have specifically recorded its incidence or prevalence, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the burden of musculoskeletal injury relative to other health conditions is critical to effective allocation of resources to mitigate the disability that results from trauma. The current study aims to systematically review the existing primary literature on the incidence and prevalence of pelvic and appendicular fractures, a major component of musculoskeletal injury, in low- and lower-middle income countries (LMICs).MethodsThis study conforms to the systematic review and traditional meta-analysis guidelines outlined in the PRISMA-P statement. Incidence rates were calculated as the occurrence of new fracture cases per 100,000 person-years, and prevalence as total fracture cases per population sample, reported as percentages.ResultsThe literature search yielded 3497 total citations. There were 21 full-text articles, representing 14 different countries, selected for data extraction. Included studies reported a wide range of incidence and prevalence rates, with an overall mean fracture incidence ranging from 779 (95% CI: 483.0-1188.7) to 1574 (95% CI: 1285.1-1915.1) per 100,000 person-years.ConclusionBetter understanding the unmet burden of musculoskeletal injury in LMICs is critical to effectively allocating resources and advocating for underserved populations. To address existing gaps and heterogeneity within the literature, future research should incorporate population-based sampling with broader geographic representation in LMICs to more accurately capture the burden of disease.

BackgroundWhile the global burden of musculoskeletal injury is increasingly recognized, few epidemiologic studies have specifically recorded its incidence or prevalence, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the burden of musculoskeletal injury relative to other health conditions is critical to effective allocation of resources to mitigate the disability that results from trauma. The current study aims to systematically review the existing primary literature on the incidence and prevalence of pelvic and appendicular fractures, a major component of musculoskeletal injury, in low- and lower-middle income countries (LMICs).MethodsThis study conforms to the systematic review and traditional meta-analysis guidelines outlined in the PRISMA-P statement. Incidence rates were calculated as the occurrence of new fracture cases per 100,000 person-years, and prevalence as total fracture cases per population sample, reported as percentages.ResultsThe literature search yielded 3497 total citations. There were 21 full-text articles, representing 14 different countries, selected for data extraction. Included studies reported a wide range of incidence and prevalence rates, with an overall mean fracture incidence ranging from 779 (95% CI: 483.0-1188.7) to 1574 (95% CI: 1285.1-1915.1) per 100,000 person-years.ConclusionBetter understanding the unmet burden of musculoskeletal injury in LMICs is critical to effectively allocating resources and advocating for underserved populations. To address existing gaps and heterogeneity within the literature, future research should incorporate population-based sampling with broader geographic representation in LMICs to more accurately capture the burden of disease.

Background: The incidence of operative treatment of distal radius fractures (DRFs) has increased recently, but the optimal timing for surgical fixation remains unclear. We hypothesized that: (1) an increase in time to fixation of intra-articular DRFs would increase the likelihood of postoperative complications; and (2) increased time from injury to fixation would lead to longer surgical time and worse range of motion (ROM) outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 299 fractures in 284 adult patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of a closed, intra-articular DRF at our institution over a 10.5-year period. Demographic information, time to surgery (TTS) from injury, surgical time, tourniquet time, complications, and final postoperative ROM were collected for logistic regression modeling to predict the risk of postoperative complication. Results: Twenty-seven (9.0%) patients experienced postoperative complications. The median TTS (Q1-Q3) for all patients was 7.0 (4.0-12.0) days. Patients who experienced an early postoperative complication had significantly longer median TTS (10.0 days) than those who did not (7.0 days). Patients with longer TTS were more likely to experience a complication (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.19; P =.006). Tourniquet time and final wrist ROM were not related to TTS. A logistic regression analysis found that early complication rate doubles at 7.0 days after injury (from 3.5% to 6.9%). Conclusions: Patients with operative intra-articular distal radius fractures should ideally be fixed within 7 to 10 days of injury to minimize the risk of early postoperative complications. The tourniquet time and final ROM were not associated with time to surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]