Limited research describing the pattern of orthopaedic musculoskeletal injuries among Gender-Based Violence (GBV) victims has been conducted in South Africa. With the high prevalence of GBV in our locality, there is a need for healthcare workers to identify this vulnerable population for early management, intervention, and prevention of subsequent assaults. We aimed to describe the pattern of musculoskeletal injuries resulting from physical assaults due to GBV. 

Method: This retrospective analysis was conducted in the orthopaedic department of a tertiary hospital in South Africa. Medical records of GBV victims between January 2021 and December 2021, including adult males and females with acute musculoskeletal injuries, were analysed. 

Results: Of the 138 GBV victims, 92.7% were female, with a median age of 32 years. Most (66.7%) were unemployed, while 63.8% of cases occurred within intimate partner relationships. The predominant mechanism of injury was blunt force trauma (35.5%), and stab injuries (22.4%). Men predominantly sustained soft tissue injuries (60.0%), while women sustained upper limb fractures (53.9%). Soft tissue injuries were noted in 34.1% of victims, of which 23.3% were lacerations. Just over half (51.5%) of victims had upper limb fractures, and 19.6% had lower limb fractures. We observed a pattern of defensive injuries among most of our study population. Most injuries occurred after work hours and during the weekends. There was also an association between alcohol use and GBV injuries (p=0.026). 

Conclusion: The pattern of musculoskeletal injuries in our study may be due to defensive manoeuvres from assaults, especially among female victims. The association between alcohol use and GBV is worrisome, therefore, interventions to identify and protect this vulnerable population is pertinent.

Steven Matshidza is the Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He has over six publications with numerous citations. He has received multiple awards, especially for his extensive work in rural Orthopaedic community outreach. He is a PhD candidate and he currently peer-reviews for a major South African journal.