Epidemiology of Neurosurgical and Orthopedic Trauma in Children: A Study in the West of Iran

Background: Trauma can be categorized based on the characteristics of its cause into penetrating, blunt, thermal, or compressive trauma. Another type of classification is based on anatomical location, as trauma may occur at any anatomical site of the body. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the epidemiology of neurosurgical and orthopedic trauma among children in the city of Ilam. Methods: In this retrospective study, the health records of all patients aged 6 to 18 years with orthopedic and neurosurgical trauma who were referred to the hospital in Ilam were investigated. Since Imam Khomeini Hospital is the only public hospital for trauma patients in this city, only the records of patients who were referred to this hospital were reviewed. Results: Results showed that in the neurosurgical trauma group, out of 145 reviewed cases, 96 (66.2%) patients were male and 49 (33.8%) were female. In relation to orthopedic traumas, out of 570 investigated cases, 386 (67.7%) were male and 184 (32.2%) were female. Additionally, results showed that 224 (39.3%) patients had fractures in the right hand, 255 (44.7%) had fractures in the left hand, and 91 (16%) had fractures in both hands. Furthermore, 21 (14.5%) patients had cervical spine injuries, 35 (24.1%) had thoracic spine injuries, 54 (37.2%) had lumbar spine injuries, and 35 (24.1%) had brain trauma. Conclusions: In the present study, the epidemiology of neurosurgical and orthopedic trauma in children was investigated. Given the prevalence of these types of trauma in Ilam, it is necessary to provide essential training to prevent or reduce their occurrence in the future.