Patterns of accidental fractures and dislocations in Saudi Arabia.

A study of 4320 confirmed cases of accidental fractures and dislocations was conducted. The aims were to study and analyse the patterns of fractures and dislocations, age and sex distribution, and the cause of injury. It was found that dislocations are relatively uncommon, upper limb injuries are more frequent than lower limb and axial skeleton injuries, and the radius and ulna were the most commonly fractured bones. A young adult male was found to be the person most at risk of an injury, and children of both sexes were the second age group most commonly involved. The overall results showed that road traffic accidents accounted for 14 per cent of the cases, but this incidence increased in the young adult and the over 40 years age group, and this cause was more evident with the more serious fractures, such as those of the axial skeleton and lower limbs.