ArticleBMJ open2026
Availability and gaps in operating theatre structural resources for fracture fixation in Tanzania: a national cross-sectional analysis.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate the availability of operating theatre structural resources for fracture fixation, identify key resource gaps and assess variation across facility tiers in hospitals delivering orthopaedic and trauma services in Tanzania.
designNational cross-sectional survey.
settingHospitals providing orthopaedic and trauma services across all levels of care and ownership types in Tanzania.
participantsLicensed orthopaedic and trauma surgeons in Tanzania (n=171) reported on 92 unique hospitals nationwide. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Operating theatre structural resources for fracture fixation across three domains: theatre infrastructure, core orthopaedic equipment and operative support resources. A composite score summarised overall structural resource availability.
resultsBasic operating theatre infrastructure and utilities were widely reported; however, specialised infrastructure components and orthopaedic-specific resources were inconsistently available. Access to traction tables (23.9%), limb positioning systems (27.2%) and disposable sterile drapes and gowns (14.1%) was limited. Adequate orthopaedic instruments were reported in 45.7% of hospitals, while fluoroscopy and digital imaging systems were reported to be available in 47.8% and 29.3%, respectively. Implant supply and equipment maintenance systems were inconsistently reported.Overall, only 17.4% of hospitals reported high structural resource availability, while 55.4% were moderate and 27.2% low. Marked disparities were observed across facility tiers, with 55.0% of zonal and national hospitals reporting high resource availability compared with 8.2% of regional and 4.3% of district hospitals. Higher tier hospitals demonstrated significantly greater availability of orthopaedic equipment, imaging and operative support resources (p<0.05). In multivariable analysis, facility tier and adequacy of orthopaedic instruments were independently associated with higher structural resource availability.
conclusionsOperating theatre structural resources for fracture fixation are variably available across hospitals in Tanzania, with key deficiencies in orthopaedic-specific equipment, intraoperative imaging, instrument adequacy and operative support systems, including implant supply and equipment maintenance. These gaps are most pronounced at lower tier facilities, highlighting substantial disparities in resource distribution. Strengthening orthopaedic equipment, improving imaging access and reinforcing support systems, particularly at lower level hospitals, is essential to support more equitable delivery of fracture fixation services.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.