Global Trauma Epidemic

Worldwide, trauma is among the top 3 leading causes of death in the first 4 decades of life. For every death attributable to trauma, 3 patients survive but are permanently disabled.

Globally, the majority of trauma results from road traffic accidents and ranks in the top 10 causes of all-cause disability. Over 90% of road traffic deaths occur in low-middle income countries (LMICs), which account for 84% of the world’s population.

Musculoskeletal injuries are common manifestations of trauma, occuring in over 60% of victims. Despite the magnitude of this problem, the burden of musculoskeletal injuries remains unkown in LMICs.

INORMUS Objective

In alignment with the World Health Organization’s objectives for the ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety’, there is a dire need for a large prospective cohort study to identify potentially modifiable risk factors associated with major adverse outcomes in patients with musculoskeletal injuries.

As such, the INORMUS study has two primary objectives:

1. To determine the burden of musculoskeletal trauma in the developing world, by identifying the incidence of major complications (mortality, reoperation and infection) within 30 days post-hospital admission in adult patients with musculoskeletal trauma.

2. To identify important interventions that reduce morbidity and mortality in musculoskeletal trauma patients in the developing world, by determining the modifiable risk factors associated with these major complications.