The Patterns of Spine Surgeries at Mulago Hospital
Abstract
Background: Spine surgery is a specialised area of orthopaedics that is still in its formative stages in
Africa. It may be done to relieve symptoms, or stabilise the spine to allow rehabilitation of patients.
This review analyses spine surgeries done in the period 2005-2009 in a National Referral Hospital.
Objectives: Patterns of spine surgeries.
Design: A retrospective review of patients who underwent spine surgeries.
Setting: Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda.
Methods: Data was collected from theatre logs and the patient files retrieved for perusal. The data
was then analysed.
Results: Spine surgeries have been increasing in number over the years with a marked increase in 2009.
Male patients were predominantly due to trauma while females were usually due to degenerative
causes.
Conclusion: Trauma especially that caused by road traffic accidents needs a holistic approach to
adequately manage. There is need to facilitate surgeons with training and equipment so that their
output may increase. Trauma still predominates as an indication for spine surgery. Outcome may be
affected by delays in referral to the spine unit. The spine surgeon is increasingly being called upon
to managed degenerative and developmental conditions.
URI
http://profiles.uonbi.ac.ke/jameskigera/publications/patterns-spine-surgeries-mulago-hospitalhttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/47377
Citation
East African Orthopaedic JournalPublisher
College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10387]