Philip Narteh Gorleku, Frank Quarshie, Manasseh Nuer, Paul Worla Attipoe, James Owusu, Bernard Amedzoame, Eric Kwadzo Gotah, Swallah Alhaji Suraka, Bismark Aduhene, David Mawuli Agbley, Anthony Elorm Setorwofia, Daniel Eshun
African Journal of Emergency Medicine · Vol. 16(3) · 101002 ·
DOI: 10.1016/j.afjem.2026.101002
In plain English
Klintaps researchers reviewed the X-ray reports of 1,736 people injured in motorcycle accidents across several Ghanaian centres between 2020 and 2023. Leg and thigh bones were broken most often, passengers were hurt worse than riders, and the number of cases rose every year, adding pressure on emergency departments.
Key findings
- The tibia/fibula (43.3%), femur (20.6%) and skull (9.3%) were the most frequently fractured bones.
- Passengers sustained more fractures (50.9%) and dislocations (57.8%) than riders, and more skull and spine fractures.
- Mortality was 85.3% among patients with spine/neck injuries and 65.0% among those with skull injuries.
- Cases increased year on year, pointing to the need for faster triage, timely imaging and motorcycle-injury prevention policy.
Abstract
Introduction: Motorcycle accidents are a leading cause of traumatic injuries, including bone fractures, dislocations, and soft tissue damage. Despite the growing concern about motorcycle-related injuries, there is a paucity of research. This study assessed traumatic bone injuries secondary to motorcycle accidents in Ghana. Methods: This multi-center quantitative study employed a cross-sectional design to examine plain X-ray reports of 1736 patients with traumatic bone injuries due to motorcycle accidents from January 2020 to December 2023. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Statistical significance was set at p-value ≤ 0.05. Results: The prevalence rate of traumatic bone injuries due to motorcycle accidents was 82.9%, and the mortality rate was 10.3%. The tibia/fibula (43.3%), femur (20.6%), and the skull (9.3%) were the most fractured bones, whilst dislocations frequently occurred at the ankle, shoulder, and elbow joints. Fractures of the skull (67.3%, p=0.041) and spine (69.0%, p=0.002) were more common among the passengers. Passengers disproportionately sustained more fractures (50.9%) and dislocations (57.8%) than motorcycle riders. The mortality rates among patients with spine/neck and skull injuries were 85.3% and 65.0%, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: The observed increasing annual trend in traumatic bone injury cases underscores a growing burden on emergency departments and highlights the urgent need for strengthened emergency medicine systems, including rapid triage, timely imaging, and coordinated trauma care. This trend also reinforces the importance of targeted motorcycle injury prevention strategies and policy interventions, alongside improved pre-hospital and emergency response services, to reduce both the incidence and severity of motorcycle-related injuries in Ghana.
How to cite
Gorleku, P. N., Quarshie, F., Nuer, M., Attipoe, P. W., Owusu, J., Amedzoame, B., Gotah, E. K., Suraka, S. A., Aduhene, B., Agbley, D. M., Setorwofia, A. E., Eshun, D. (2026). Radiological assessment of traumatic bone injuries secondary to motorcycle accidents in Ghana: a multi-center cross-sectional study. African Journal of Emergency Medicine, 16(3), 101002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afjem.2026.101002