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Moye-Elizalde, G.A., Ruiz-Martínez, F., Suarez-Santamaría, J.J., Ruiz-Ramírez, M., Reyes-Gallardo, A. and Díaz-Apodaca, B.A. (2013) Epidemiology of Gunshot Wounds at Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua General Hospital. Acta Ortopédica Mexicana, 27, 221-235.

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Fractures by Firearms in Conflict Town

  AUTHORS: Toha Georges Kuyigwa, Akinja Bitum Uwonda, Ona Longombe Ahuka

  KEYWORDS: Fracture by Firearms, Post Conflict, Young Subjects, DRC

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Journal of Orthopedics, Vol.5 No.5, May 12, 2015

  ABSTRACT: For nearly two decades, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been plagued by war and abnormal movement of firearms is commonplace. The consequence of this is the increasing number of victim patients from gunshot wound at the hospitals. The aim of this study is to make an assessment of fractures caused by firearms and their management in a post conflict town. This is a retrospective, descriptive, multicenter study involving 123 cases with 128 fractures by firearms recorded during a period of 24 months from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2012. Patients were recruited from 3 major hospitals in Bukavu town having a unit of fractures management. One hundred and six (86.9%) patients were males with the modal age in the ranks from 20 to 40 years old (mean 29.9 years). Seventy-one (57.7%) were civilians and 52 (42.3%) patients were soldiers; 86 (78.2%) came from countryside. The reprisal was implicated in 77 (62.6%) cases. In 62.5% of cases, fractures were localized in the lower limbs and were treated orthopedically in 50% of cases. The gunshot fractures in eastern DRC were mainly concerning the civilian young people living in the countryside and necessarily affected the bones of low limb. A study on fracture by firearms should be carried in the area where people have been wounded. Reducing the flow of gunshot could reduce the rate of fractures by firearms.