UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Trauma

Title: Orthopedic Injuries associated with intimate partner violence

Keywords: IPV, violence, injury, ulna, orthopedics (PubMed Search)

Posted: 9/1/2024 by Robert Flint, MD (Updated: 10/29/2024)
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In this systemic literature review of orthopedic injuries identified in intimate partner violence (IPV) the authors remind us that finger, hand, and especially isolated ulnar fractures are very commonly associated with IPV.  When we see these injury patterns extra effort is required to determine if IPV is involved.  

Citation **Bhandari et al.**3 **Khurana et al.**18 **Loder et al.**12 **Porter et al.**13 **Kavak et al.**7 **Thomas et al.**17
Division of injury locations Fingers, wrist, shoulder dislocation, humerus fracture Finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, humerus, shoulder Finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, humerus, shoulder Radius/ulna, humerus, upper extremity, right/left Phalanx, radius, ulna (diaphysis/metaphysis, distal/proximal) Phalanges (distal/medial/proximal), hand/finger, forearm, arm/shoulder right/left
Most common UEF location Fingers (n = 11) Finger (34.3%) Finger (9.9%) Radius and ulna (n = 80; 5.9%) Ulna (14.5%) Finger (46%)
Most common injury type‡ Musculoskeletal sprains (all n = 21; 28% back n = 7; neck n = 6) UEF (27.2%) Contusions/abrasion (43.4%) Rib fracture (17.5%) Soft-tissue lesions (n = 1,007, 82.2%) UEF (52%)

* IPV = intimate partner violence, UEF = upper extremity fracture, and UEI = upper extremity injury.

Summary table demonstrating the location prevalence of UEIs caused by cases of IPV. Fractures were quantified separately from other UEIs in this specific table.

In all included articles the most common injury type was an injury to the head or neck; these are excluded because of the study aim.

References

Orthopaedic Injury Patterns in Intimate Partner Violence: Defensive Wounds and Fracture PatternsA Systematic Literature Review

Roan Willson, BS Erika Roddy, MDHolly Martinson, PhDCaitlin Farrell Skelton, MPHLisa Taitsman, MD, MPH

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

August 2024; 12 (8): e24.00082

DOI 10.2106/JBJS.RVW.24.00082

https://www.jbjs.org/reader.php?rsuite_id=1447f92f-ad60-4766-991f-1c1e2b11cf27&source=JBJS_Reviews/12/8/e24.00082&topics=ta+oe#info