Intimate Partner Violence During Recovery from an Orthopaedic Injury: An Exploratory, Prospective, Multicenter,...

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Public Health
• Trauma Recovery

Background:

• Orthopaedic injuries can heighten vulnerability to intimate partner violence (IPV) during recovery.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the impact of IPV on orthopaedic injury recovery.
• This study investigates new IPV disclosures and their effect on recovery in women with orthopaedic injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of new intimate partner violence (IPV) disclosures in women within 12 months post-orthopaedic injury.
• To explore the impact of IPV on the recovery outcomes of women treated for orthopaedic injuries.

Main Methods:

• 250 female participants were enrolled across 6 international orthopaedic fracture clinics.
• Intimate partner violence (IPV) disclosure and clinical outcomes were assessed at baseline and 12-month follow-up.
• Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the association between IPV disclosure and recovery.

Main Results:

• 32.4% of participants had a history of IPV, with 12.4% disclosing it during follow-up.
• IPV disclosure was linked to a 32% lower likelihood of returning to pre-injury function.
• Participants disclosing IPV reported lower health-related quality of life (EQ-5D scores) at 6 and 12 months.

Conclusions:

• A significant percentage of women disclosed IPV within a year of their orthopaedic injury.
• IPV disclosure is associated with poorer recovery outcomes and reduced quality of life.
• Orthopaedic clinics should be optimized to identify and support patients experiencing IPV.