Author(s)

Harine Abdel Aziz Garba^1*, Ramadhane Bouchrane², Adama Bah³, Hamid Harine Abdel Aziz¹, Moustapha Niasse⁴, Diallo Saïdou⁴

¹Department of Rheumatology, CHURN—University of N’Djamena, Chad.
²Rheumatology Unit, National Center for Orthopedic Fitting (CNAO), Dakar—Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
³Department of Rheumatology, Ignace Deen University Hospital—Gamal Abdel Nasser University, Conakry, Guinea.
⁴Department of Rheumatology, Coud Hospital—Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, and outcome characteristics of spinal pathologies managed in the Rheumatology Department of Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital, Dakar. Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive study of 6196 patients followed between January 2012 and December 2022. Sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic, and outcome data were analyzed. Results: Spinal disorders accounted for 60.8% of consultations. The mean age was 60.3 years, and the sex ratio was 0.51 in favor of women. Low back pain was the most frequent complaint (44.5%), followed by neck pain (19.2%). Degenerative diseases were the most common diagnoses. Management relied on analgesics, NSAIDs, corticosteroids, DMARDs, and physiotherapy. Functional evaluation using the Lequesne, EIFFEL, NHP, SF-36, and WOMAC scores demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in quality of life. Conclusion: Spinal disorders represent a major public health issue in Senegal. Their functional and socioeconomic impact highlights the need to strengthen diagnostic and therapeutic resources adapted to the African context.

Spinal Pathologies, Epidemiology, Rheumatology, Senegal, Sub-Saharan Africa

Garba, H.A.A., Bouchrane, R., Bah, A., Aziz, H.H.A., Niasse, M. and Saïdou, D. (2025) Spinal Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: A 10-Year Hospital Experience from Senegal. Open Journal of Rheumatology and Autoimmune Diseases, 15, 181-190. doi: 10.4236/ojra.2025.154021.