Chronic physical health conditions and associated factors among people with serious orthopaedic injuries: A systematic review

Introduction: A clear understanding of the development of chronic physical health conditions following orthopaedic injury is essential to fully recognise the magnitude and burden of injury, improve treatment and predict certain outcomes. This review aimed at systematically identifying and evaluating current evidence of the incidence and prevalence of chronic physical health conditions and factors associated with chronic physical health conditions following serious orthopaedic injury. Materials and method: Systematic literature search was performed using Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase via Ovid, Cochrane Library and Ovid Emcare up to 30 December 2018. Observational studies relating to the incidence or prevalence of chronic physical health conditions and associated factors in people with serious orthopaedic injuries were included. Data extraction and methodological quality assessment were carried out independently by 2 reviewers. Result: Of the 4835 references identified in the initial search, only five studies with sample sizes ranging from 83 to 3846 met the criteria for inclusion. The most prevalent conditions reported in people with serious orthopaedic injury included coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and chronic heart failure. Bronchial, rectal, prostate and breast cancers were also causes of late death in orthopaedic injury survivors. Most of the studies included in this review were unable to determine whether these conditions were related to injuries. Conclusions: Chronic physical health conditions are prevalent among people with serious orthopaedic injury. Little is known about factors associated with chronic physical health conditions following serious orthopaedic injury or whether physical health conditions are associated with injury. Further work needs to be done to identify causal pathways and the longer-term effects of orthopaedic injury on the risk of developing chronic physical health conditions.