Soft Tissue Injuries Following Motorcycle Accidents in South-east Nigeria Nigerian Hospital

Abstract

Background: Motorcycleaccidentshave,inrecentyears,assumedepidemicproportions.Thishas prompted increasing interests in the circumstances surrounding the accidents and the management of the victims. Victims of these accidents are subjected to a variety of injuries including significant soft tissue injuries. Proper management of these soft tissue injuries is important in reducing morbidity and mortality in these patients. This study therefore aims to determine the nature of motorcycle accidents and management of soft tissue from such accidents.

Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study of the victims of motorcycle accidents admitted into and treated at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu from Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2007. Relevant data were extracted from the patients' case folders at the Medical Records Department.

Results: Most (33.1%) of the patients sustained multiple injuries, 24.8% deep lacerations, 21.2% bruises, abrasions and/ or friction burns, 11.3% had head injury, 6.0% avulsion injuries and 3.6% had crush injuries of the limbs. Plastic surgery services were required in 61.6% of the cases.

The injuries were treated by various methods, 22.2% had wound debridement with primary, delayed or secondary suture and Plaster of Paris (POP) cast. Another 17.2% of the patients' wounds were debrided with primary wound closure, while 3.6% had delayed or secondary closure after debridement and 8.3% had their wounds skin grafted or covered with flaps.

Conclusion: Management of these patients in a center that provides outstanding Plastic and Reconstructive surgery services aided the appropriate and definitive care of the soft tissue injuries as well as the effective management of the Orthopaedic care of the bone injuries.sterectomy compared to its abdominal counterpart, however, other complications were not. Furthermore, the former had the advantage of shorter duration of hospital stay compared to the latter.