Orthopaedic Subspecialisation

The Nigerian Experience

Abstract

Purpose: Globally, Orthopaedic Surgery is not left out in the trend towards subspecialization in the surgical specialties. This study aims to determine the current perception and practice of subspecialization in Orthopaedics by the Nigerian Orthopaedic surgeon and to make recommendations on the way forward. Methods: A questionnaire was designed and distributed among Orthopaedic surgeons of different cadres. One hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were sent out and 107 of those were recovered. Their responses were collated and the resulting data was analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 21. Results: One hundred and three (103, 96.3%) of the respondents were males and 4 (3.7%) were females. Eighty-eight (88, 82.2%) were consultants; 98 or 91.6% worked in government facilities. Thirty-eight (38, 35.5%) said they were subspecialists. Ten (10) had subspecialty training 6 months or longer. Nine (9) had more than 75% of their practice in their subspecialty. Twelve (12) subspecialists were satisfied with their level of knowledge while eleven (11) were satisfied with their output. Most of the respondents (103, 96.3%) desired that the subspecialty training should be made mandatory while 102 (95.3%) wanted it incorporated into the regular Orthopaedic training in Nigeria. Conclusions: There is need to standardize the definition and training of Orthopaedic subspecialists in Nigeria, in order to improve the quality of practice and enhance the output and satisfaction among subspecialist surgeons. Postgraduate training in Orthopaedic subspecialties is advocated.