Epidemiological profile of surgical ankle and foot injuries caused by motorcycle accidents attended at a state emergency hospital in Bahia

Abstract

Objective:To qualify and quantify ankle and foot injuries requiring emergency surgery, and to describe the profile of patients attended at the HGE with these injuries, emphasizing the importance of the presence of the specialist traumatologist in this sector. Method:This is a transversal, individualized, observational study of the case survey type, of patients who were attended at the largest state emergency hospital in Bahia following traffic accidents. Patient records from 10/28/2015 to 04/28/2016 were analyzed. Results:Of the 2718 emergency surgeries performed covering all the medical specialties, 244 (8.97%) were orthopedic surgeries to the ankle and foot following motorcycle accidents. The distribution of victims by sex showed a predominance of males (86.47%). The predominant age range was 32-41 years (27.45%), followed by individuals aged from 22-31 years (25.40%). The most prevalent lesions was exposed fracture of the toe (40.57%), the most common toe fracture being to the hallux (38.38%) followed by exposed fracture of the 5thtoe (33.33%). The right side was the most affected. Conclusion:Ankle and foot injuries requiring emergency treatment following motorcycle accidents are very prevalent, comprising 8.97% of emergency surgeries in the period studied, which corresponds to 27.05% of the total orthopedic trauma surgeries. The majority affected are male, with toe injuries being the most common.