Musculoskeletal Trauma

Introduction Musculoskeletal trauma principally includes fractures of the bones of the extremities; however, ligamentous injuries, joint injuries, and soft tissue trauma involving muscle may also be placed in this category. This represents one of the major burdens of injury in children. In developed countries, many extremity fractures are of little consequence and are often regarded as a “badge of courage”; the child is immobilised in a plaster or fiberglass cast for a few weeks and then returns to normal activity. In the third world, however, extremity fractures and other musculoskeletal trauma can result in permanent disability and even lifethreatening injuries. Perhaps the most serious complication of fracture management in Africa is “bonesetter’s limbs” or “bonesetter’s gangrene”, which, if it does not kill the patient, can destroy all of the soft tissue of the affected limb, leaving only contractures or exposed bones.1