Epidemiology and Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disabilities Following Motor Vehicle Accidents in Aljouf Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are the leading cause of disability, particularly among young adults in Saudi Arabia. Persistent disabilities account for around 7% of all injuries attributed to MVAs in Saudi Arabia in the last twenty years. Limited studies on musculoskeletal disabilities following MVAs have been carried out in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to explore the epidemiology and prevalence of musculoskeletal disabilities in motor vehicle accident (MVA) patients in the Aljouf region, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated all MVA victims treated in the Aljouf region, Saudi Arabia, from January 2020 to December 2022. A total of 3252 medical records were collected, with 731, 1197, and 1324 musculoskeletal injury cases per year, of which 88, 168, and 153 records from 2020, 2021, and 2022 were analysed, respectively. Results: The study found that patients aged 25–34 and 35–44 years were the most likely to experience disability following MVAs. The difference between age groups during a single year was statistically significant (p p p p p = 0.02) were at greater risk of developing high grades of disability. Conclusions: This study highlighted the musculoskeletal disabilities in the Aljouf region following MVAs. Severe musculoskeletal disabilities were rare, but fractures were the most common following MVAs. More efforts should be directed towards education on early transportation and transfer to the nearest medical centres, seeking assistance immediately after MVAs for patient safety, and disability prevention.

Keywords

• disability
• fracture
• traumatic amputation
• traffic accidents
• injury severity score
• Saudi Arabia