Impact of the First Six Months of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Orthopedic and Hand Trauma Surgery

Abstract

Reduced mobility due to COVID-19 prevention measures caused major changes in the number and types of orthopedic trauma cases. This study aimed to compare the profile of trauma-related general orthopedic surgery and hand surgery cases between the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding periods of previous years in order to determine strategies for managing orthopedic traumas in unusual circumstances such as pandemics. Patients over 18 years old who underwent orthopedic surgery due to trauma were grouped according to sur gery date as pre-pandemic group 1 (G1, March 16–September 18, 2018), pre-pandemic group 2 (G2, March 18–September 20, 2019), and the pandemic group (G3, March 19–September 21, 2020). Between-group differences with p<0.05 were considered significant. The study included a total of 3522 patients: 1351 in G1, 1427 in G2, and 744 in G3. There was a significant decrease in the number of patients in G3 compared to the other groups (p=0.001), while the number of hand surgeries did not differ significantly between the groups. As a result, the ratio of hand trauma surgeries to general orthopedic traumas was significantly higher in G3 (p <0.05). During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in orthopedic trauma surgeries and an increase in hand trauma surgeries. In this period of increased hand traumas, hand surgeons should be encouraged to intervene remotely using technology (telemedicine). © 2021, Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi Tip Fakultesi. All rights reserved.