Skeletal injuries following unintentional fall from height.

BACKGROUND

Falls from height are one of the leading causes of death from unintentional injuries.

METHODS

We reviewed cases of musculoskeletal trauma due to fall from height, who were treated at a tertiary care hospital in Delhi over a one-year period, with respect to demographic data, site of accident, circumstances and location of fall, approximate height of fall, season, landing surface, details of skeletal and other injuries, and duration of hospital stay.

RESULTS

Of 1451 admissions during the period, 138 were injured due to fall from height. Thirty-seven cases were excluded. The mean age of the patients was 31.3 years. The mean height of the fall was 4.54 meters (range: 0.6-12 meters). A total of 126 fractures occurred in 101 patients: 55 in the upper limbs, 50 in the lower limbs, 14 in the spine, and 7 in the pelvis. Associated injuries included head (n = 17), chest (n = 9) and abdominal injuries (n = 6). Ninety patients (89%) needed surgical intervention for fracture management. Eleven (10.8%) of these 101 injuries were fatal.

CONCLUSION

Fall from height is a potentially preventable cause of skeletal injuries, as most of the injuries sustained due to fall from height were domestic injuries and occurred due to poor dwelling units.