Pathological Fractures in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients in a Teaching Hospital in Senegal: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors

Abstract

Introduction: The lack of follow-up and adequate management of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) in chronic hemodialysis patients is associated with pathological fractures. Few studies are available on the subject in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of pathological fractures in our chronic hemodialysis patients, to analyze their clinical aspects and to determine the factors associated with their occurrence. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study over 9 years (January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020) based on the medical records of chronic hemodialysis patients at the CHU Aristide Le Dantec. The diagnosis of pathological fracture was retained in front of any fracture occurring spontaneously or following minimal trauma and confirmed by X-ray. Results: Nineteen cases of pathological fractures were collected with a hospital prevalence of 19.39%. The mean age was 53.32 ± 13.94 years with a sex ratio of 0.36. The average seniority in dialysis was 84.16 ± 29.88 months. Among these patients, one had had 3 episodes of fractures and another 6 episodes. The circumstances of occurrence of the fractures were the fall in 63% of the cases, spontaneously in 37% of the cases. The predominant site of fractures was the femoral neck (47.38% cases). Female gender (p < 0.045), seniority in hemodialysis > 5 years (p = 0.049), gait disturbances prior to the fracture (p = 0.001), positive CRP (p = 0.028) and the presence of vascular calcifications (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with the occurrence of pathological fractures. Conclusion: This study has identified the factors associated with the occurrence of pathological invoices in hemodialysis patients in our context. These fractures are often associated with the lack of regular biological follow-up due to the low socioeconomic level of our patients.