ArticleCureus2024
A Scoping Review on the Management of Open Fractures in African Trauma and Orthopaedics Centres.
Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Open Tibial Fractures Part 2: A Narrative Review of Definitive Treatment and Potential Applicability to the Southern African Context.Orthopedic research and reviews · 2026Review
- Infection, Healing, and Cost in Open Fractures: A Review of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.Cureus · 2025Review
- Open Tibial Fractures Part 1: A Narrative Review of Initial Treatment and Potential Applicability to the Southern African Context.Orthopedic research and reviews · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
An open fracture is when the fractured part of a bone is exposed to the external environment by breaching the overlying soft tissue and skin. Open fractures often arise from high-energy injuries, and the risk of microbial contamination is high. There is a need to understand the management of open fractures in Africa by assessing the overall prevalence of open fractures, the mechanisms of injury, management approaches and outcomes. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, African Journal Online, and Google Scholar regarding open fracture management in Africa from inception till date. Thirty-nine (39) studies were included in this review. Road traffic accidents represented the majority of all mechanisms of open fractures, with the Tibia being the most affected bone. 320 cases were classified as Gustilo Anderson Type 1, with 487 classified as Type 2. Type 3 was divided into 3A (330), 3B (248), and 3C (34). Most studies recorded the immediate administration of intravenous antibiotics, but tetanus prophylaxis was only given in 13 studies, while initial debridement and washout were done in 35 studies. External fixators and Kirschner wires were most used for initial fixation. Follow-up for patients was between six weeks to 50 months. There were 645 cases of malunion, 83 cases of non-union, and 88 patients who had delayed union. There were 147 cases of wound infection and 119 cases of pin tract infections. Our findings emphasize the need for standardized protocols and robust emergency services to manage open fractures within Africa.
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