Abstract
Acute injuries of the ankle are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries seen in the emergency department. If standard three view radiographs are ordered only when the patient is unable to ambulate or has localized tenderness over bone, there should be a substantial decrease in the number of radiographs ordered, with no loss of sensitivity for finding fractures. In physeal fractures radiographs may appear normal, and the diagnosis is made on the basis of bone tenderness. Serious ankle injuries often involve both the medial and lateral sides of the ankle, so the 'other' side of the ankle must be carefully examined even when one fracture is obvious. In a closed ankle injury that is not dislocated, initial treatment of ice, elevation, splinting, and nonweight bearing is indicated.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 122-125 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Emergency and Office Pediatrics |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 6 |
State | Published - 1993 |
Externally published | Yes |