Prevalence of Abnormal Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Tertiary Trauma Centre

Introduction: Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) has been a sensitive and reliable marker of bone metabolic activity. The study aimed to study the epidemiology of orthopaedic trauma patients and estimate the level of BALP in these patients. Material and methods: This hospital-based observational cross-sectional study was conducted on over 300 patients admitted to the orthopaedic trauma unit in the level I trauma centre of North India during the study period from January 2020 to January 2021. The level of BALP was assessed in serum samples of 258 patients. Result: A total of 300 patients were included in this study, with an average age of 33.52±17.16 years. Road traffic accidents were the most common mode of injury among admitted patients. We found a significant linear correlation between age and mean BALP levels (P-value < 0.005). The mean age of patients having abnormal BALP is 63.0±16.61 years. Females (22.61±16.23) had greater mean BALP levels than males (13.15±5.86). Among different fractures, fractures around the hip had a higher mean BALP level (23.17±15.07). Patients with diabetes mellitus have higher mean BALP levels. Conclusion: BALP is a cost-effective, readily available bone marker to assess the metabolic activity of orthopaedic trauma patients. Old age patients should undergo routine BALP estimation at admission to rule out metabolic disorders, and timely intervention will prevent complications associated with metabolic disorders.