Knowledge and Attitudes of Patients Towards Bone Setting Practices in Ibadan, Oyo State

Traditional bone setting remains a prevalent alternative to orthodox orthopaedic care in many Nigerian communities, often with deleterious outcomes including malunion, gangrene, and amputation. This descriptive cross-sectional study examines the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients regarding traditional bone setting in Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire will be deployed among 200 patients with musculoskeletal injuries presenting to the orthopaedic clinic of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. The survey will explore awareness of risks, prior utilisation of bone setters, reasons for preferring traditional care, cultural beliefs, and financial considerations. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests will be used to analyse associations between sociodemographic variables and attitudes toward orthodox versus traditional management. Findings are expected to reveal that cost, cultural familiarity, and proximity to local bone setters are principal motivators for bypassing orthodox care. This study will provide evidence to inform community-level orthopaedic health education campaigns targeting high-risk populations in Oyo State. The results also aim to support dialogue between public health authorities and traditional healers for safer referral practices. A deeper understanding of community health behaviour in this domain is critical for reducing preventable orthopaedic complications in the South West geopolitical zone and informing broader national strategies on integrative health care. Keywords: bone setting, traditional medicine, orthopaedic knowledge, Ibadan, patient attitudes.