Comparing pattern of musculoskeletal injuries prior to and during COVID-19 lockdown: A time-trend case study from a tertiary level Trauma Center of Northern India

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the COVID-19 times, Indian sub-continent is struggling to contain the epidemic and trying to strengthen the existing health infrastructure, the national level lockdown has raised concerns about the pattern of injuries whether it has remained the same or has changed over this period. This is the first study to compare injury pattern during the two months lockdown period with the data of corresponding months from years 2016-2020. Also we compared the age- and sex-wise distribution patterns of these injuries for the above mentioned period. METHODS: This retrospective cross sectional study was conducted by the Department of Orthopaedics in Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH) in Faridkot, Punjab. Secondary data for patient's age and sex, mode of injury, and site of injury was collected through record review for the period of two months (24(th) March to 24(th) May) for five consecutive years of 2016-2020. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test was used to see the association between age and sex with mode and type of injury. RESULTS: The five year injury trends reflected that the proportion of injuries in 2016 was 16.5% (n = 48) of the total musculoskeletal injuries (n = 291) which rose to 23.4% (n = 68) in 2020. Majority of the patients were males (80%), and belonged to adult age group (69.4%) followed by elderly (17.2%), adolescents (8.6%) and children (4.8%). The proportion of road traffic accidents out of all injuries significantly reduced during the lock down period of two months in 2020 (p = 0.001). On the contrary, the proportion of injuries due to falls as well as unspecified assault increased significantly in 2020 as compared to previous years. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of musculoskeletal injuries have increased from 2016-2020. Unspecified assault and all types of falls pushed the road traffic accidents to third position during the lockdown period in 2020 as compared to previous four years. Injury surveillance needs to be integrated in routine hospital system for precise information and for more efficient functioning.