Rising Cases of Motorcycle Wheel Spokes Injuries in A Tertiary Facility in Northern Ghana; A Policy Call.

INTRODUCTION

Motorcycle wheel spoke injuries refer to the entrapment of the foot and ankle of a rider or pillion rider into the spokes of a vehicle resulting in varied complex ankle-foot injuries.

CASE REPORTS

We report ten cases of motorcycle wheel spoke injuries between January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, majority of whom were children with the youngest being 4 years and the oldest 43 years. A few of the cases sustained both soft tissue injuries and fractures around the ankle while the rest sustained only soft tissue injuries. We believe a lot more of these cases do not get to the tertiary facility for varied reasons.The mean length of hospital stay was 19±13 days potential indirect negative economic impact on the state, patients, and their family/caregivers.These injuries can be prevented by developing policies aimed at public education, baring children from riding pillion, and designing protective wheel covering.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Cases of motorcycle wheel spoke injuries are on the rise in the Northern part of Ghana. We recommend public education and awareness creation as well as stringent implementation of road traffic regulations.