The subjective concerns and needs of patients who have experienced trauma are important to recovery. However, the mental status
of patients with isolated musculoskeletal trauma is not known. Is the mental status of such patients different and does the
severity, site, and type of trauma affect this difference? We evaluated the mental status of 195 patients hospitalized for
isolated musculoskeletal trauma and determined the characteristics of the factors that affect mental status; 197 patients
hospitalized for elective surgery and not exposed to acute trauma constituted the control group. We administered the Mini-Mental
State Examination to study and control groups within the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Age, gender, and educational status
in the study and control groups were recorded. In addition, the severity, site, and type of trauma in the study group were
recorded. Mini-Mental State Examination scores of the trauma group were lower than those of the control group. Mini-Mental
State Examination scores decreased with increasing trauma severity. The mental status of the patients sustaining isolated
musculoskeletal trauma was affected by the severity, site, and type of trauma.
Level of Evidence: Level I, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest,
patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that may pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.
Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation, that all investigations
were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study
was obtained.