Saratiel L. Nyabera

Open long bone fractures are severe injuries caused mainly by high-energy trauma, including road traffic accidents, falls, and industrial incidents. They carry significant risks of infection, delayed union, and functional impairment. Understanding patient demographics and fracture patterns is vital for optimizing management and prevention. The objective of this study was’ to describe the demographic, clinical, and fracture characteristics of adult patients with open long bone fractures at a tertiary hospital in Kenya. A prospective descriptive study was conducted at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital from January to September 2024. Adults (≥18 years) with open fractures of the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, or fibula were consecutively enrolled, totaling 230 patients with 241 fractures. Data on demographics, injury mechanism, fracture characteristics, and Gustilo–Anderson classification were collected via structured interviews and medical record review. Descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS v26. Mean age was 36.9 ± 14.9 years; 74.3% were male. Road traffic accidents caused 65.2% of injuries. Lower extremity fractures predominated (82.2%), most commonly tibia–fibula (57.3%). Comminuted fractures were most frequent (58.5%), with nearly equal right (51.0%) and left (49.0%) distribution. Gustilo–Anderson types I, II, and III comprised 19.9%, 38.2%, and 41.9% of fractures, respectively. Open long bone fractures in this tertiary setting mainly affected young males, were largely due to high-energy trauma—particularly road traffic accidents—and frequently involved severe lower extremity injuries. Keywords: Open fractures, Long bones, Gustilo-Anderson classification, road traffic accident, high energy trauma