Reasons for the use of traditional bonesetter in fracture care: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Traditional bonesetter (TBS) is often the primary choice in the treatment of fractures by communities, especially in rural areas, even though modern medical services are readily available. Dependence on TBS is a determinant of treatment success because improper fracture management is associated with increased morbidity and patient mortality. Meanwhile, information about why people prefer TBS is still limited. This systematic literature review aims to identify the reasons why patients prefer TBS in fracture treatment to improve understanding of the use of TBS in fracture cases. This study was systematically compiled in this review based on a literature search using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. A total of three electronic databases were used, namely PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. The article search is arranged with the range of 2014-2024. Four of the 1009 selected articles have met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Funnel Plots were used to test effect size and heterogeneity with a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results of the analysis of 4 articles found that the reasons for choosing TBS in the case of fracture were dominated by economic factors, trust in TBS, religious beliefs, and advice from people closest to them. Therefore, it is recommended to increase educational efforts and integrate traditional medicine with modern medicine to reduce the incidence of morbidity and mortality.