Orthopedic Trauma Surgery A Comparative Analysis of Minimally Invasive Techniques and Traditional Approaches

Background: Orthopedic trauma surgery addresses fractures and musculoskeletal injuries, with minimally invasive techniques (MITs) emerging as alternatives to traditional open surgeries. Objective: This study aims to compare the outcomes of minimally invasive techniques and traditional approaches in orthopedic trauma surgery, assessing their efficacy, complications, and recovery rates. Method: A comparative study was conducted on 134 patients at a multicenter tertiary hospital in Bangladesh from June 2023 to June 2024. Patients were divided into two groups: MIT (67 patients) and traditional surgery (67 patients). Data on operative time, recovery period, complications, and patient satisfaction were analyzed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Results: The average operative time was 90 minutes for MIT compared to 130 minutes for traditional surgery, representing a 30.8% reduction (p < 0.01). Patients in the MIT group had a shorter recovery period, averaging 8 weeks compared to 12 weeks in the traditional group, a 33.3% faster recovery (p < 0.001). The infection rate was 5% in the MIT group compared to 12% in the traditional group (p = 0.04), a 58.3% lower complication rate in MIT. Satisfaction was higher in the MIT group, with 85% of patients reporting high satisfaction compared to 62% in the traditional group (p = 0.02). Malalignment was noted in 7% of MIT cases and 3% in traditional surgery cases, a difference of 4%. Conclusions: Minimally invasive techniques reduce operative time, recovery duration, and postoperative complications, but traditional surgery offers better outcomes for complex fractures in terms of bone alignment.