Purpose: Domestic violence is the most common cause of nonfatal injury to women in North America and musculoskeletal injuries were the second most common manifestation of intimate partner violence (IPV). We aimed to identify the perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge about IPV among orthopaedic surgeons.
Method: Using a systematic random sample, we mailed surveys to 362 members of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association to identify attitudes towards IPV. The questionnaire consisted of three sections:
General Attitude of Orthopaedic Surgeon Towards IPV,
Attitude of Orthopaedic Surgeon Towards Victims and Batterers and
Clinical Relevance of IPV in Orthopaedic Surgery.
Up to 3 follow up mailings were performed to enhance response rates.
Results: Respondents (N = 186, response rate: 51%) consisted of 167 (91%) male orthopaedic surgeons, all actively practicing at the time of the survey. Most orthopaedic surgeons (95%) estimated that victims of IPV comprised less than 10% of their patients, the majority of whom (80%) believed it was exceedingly rare.
Conclusion: Orthopaedic surgeons grossly underestimated the prevalence of IPV in their communities. Discomfort with the issue and lack of knowledge led to misconceptions about IPV. The relevance of IPV to surgical practice was well supported but prevalence studies are needed change the current paradigm in orthopaedics.
