Pattern of Skeletal Injuries Presenting to the Radiology Department of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife

Skeletal injuries constitute a high proportion of emergency radiological presentations at Nigerian tertiary hospitals, driven by road traffic accidents, industrial injuries, and interpersonal violence. Understanding the pattern of skeletal injuries presenting to the radiology department provides essential epidemiological data for trauma care planning and preventive health policy. This study examines the pattern, anatomical distribution, and demographic profile of skeletal injuries presenting to the radiology department of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State. A retrospective descriptive design is employed, reviewing 350 radiological reports of skeletal injury cases from 2020 to 2022. Data extracted include patient age, sex, anatomical injury site, injury mechanism, fracture type classification, and referral department. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis are computed in SPSS. Available trauma radiology literature from South West Nigeria identifies road traffic accidents as the primary injury mechanism, accounting for over 60 percent of skeletal injury presentations, with the long bones of the lower limb being the most frequently affected anatomical region. The AO Foundation fracture classification system provides the analytical reference for fracture pattern assessment. Findings are expected to confirm long bone fractures from road traffic injuries as the dominant pattern, with male patients in the third and fourth decades being disproportionately represented. Recommendations address trauma imaging protocol standardisation, emergency radiograph reporting priorities, and collaboration between the radiology department and trauma surgery at OAUTH. Keywords: skeletal injuries, fracture pattern, radiology, OAUTH, South West Nigeria.