Fracture Patterns and Surgical Interventions: A Two-Year Analysis from Nigeria’s Premier Teaching Hospital

Background: Fractures represent a significant burden of disease globally, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This study analyzes patterns, surgical approaches, and outcomes of fracture cases managed at University College Hospital, Ibadan over a two-year period. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted for all patients who underwent surgical management of fractures at the Department of Orthopedics and Trauma between January 2021 and December 2022. Demographic data, clinical presentation, fracture characteristics, surgical interventions, and outcomes were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study included 131 patients (56.5% male, 43.5% female), with the majority between 21-60 years of age (57.2%). Lower extremity fractures predominated, with femur (38.6%), tibia (26.2%), and fibula (18.6%) being the most common sites. Open Reduction Internal Fixation with plate and screw (20.6%) was the most frequent surgical intervention, followed by intramedullary nailing (8.4%) and hemiarthroplasty (13%). Nearly all surgeries (98.5%) were emergency procedures. Spinal anesthesia was the most common anesthetic technique (48.9%), and most surgeries (84.6%) were completed within 3 hours. Age-related patterns showed increasing prevalence of femur fractures with advancing age, while gender analysis revealed higher rates of tibia and fibula fractures in males and more malleolar and ankle fractures in females. Conclusion: This analysis provides valuable insights into fracture patterns and surgical management at a major Nigerian referral center. The predominance of lower extremity fractures, gender-specific patterns, and age-related trends observed have important implications for clinical practice, prevention strategies, and resource allocation. These findings contribute to the limited contemporary data on fracture management in Nigeria and provide evidence for optimizing orthopedic surgical practices.