DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjmcr.2026.v14i08.019

Pages: 1847-1849

Introduction: Open lower-leg fractures most often result from high-energy trauma and constitute a medical-surgical emergency. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of managing open lower-leg fractures in adults within the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology at the Gabriel Touré University Hospital. Patients and methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive study conducted at the Traumatology-Orthopedics Department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital in Bamako, Mali, from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023 (2 years). We included all patients over the age of 15 with an open leg fracture who underwent surgery and follow-up in the department during the study period. The parameters studied were epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic, and related to clinical outcome. Results: Over a two-year period, the incidence of open leg fractures was 9.7%. There was a male predominance (77.9%, n = 74). The mean age was 37.37 years, ranging from 16 to 72 years. Road traffic accidents were the most common cause (90.5%, n = 86). The fracture pattern was simple in 39 patients (41.1%) and complex in 56 cases (58.9%). Regarding surgical management, an external fixator was used in 49 cases (51.6%). Outcomes were generally good. The main complications were surgical site infection (17 cases), non-union (1 case), osteitis (3 cases), malunion (2 cases), delayed union (2 cases), and stiffness (2 cases). Conclusion: Open fractures of the lower leg are common in adults, and the majority result from road traffic accidents. In this study, the choice of osteosynthesis hardware based on age and the anatomopathological type yielded satisfactory results.