Rationalising requests for x-ray examination of acute ankle injuries.

The ankle injury--indications for the selective use of X-rays.

The radiograph is rapidly superseding the clinical examination as the diagnostic tool for acute ankle injuries. Twenty-four independent variables which might help distinguish between soft tissue injuries and fractures at the ankle were identified and then used prospectively to study 150 consecutive patients with ankle injuries. Nineteen patients had fractured ankles (12.7 per cent) and 131 (87....

Clinical Value of the Ottawa Ankle Rules for Diagnosis of Fractures in Acute Ankle Injuries

BACKGROUND The Ottawa ankle rules (OAR) are clinical decision guidelines used to identify whether patients with ankle injuries need to undergo radiography. The OAR have been proven that their application reduces unnecessary radiography. They have nearly perfect sensitivity for identifying clinically significant ankle fractures. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess the applicabil...

Does the normal four steps weight-bearing rule predict the need for radiography in cases of blunt ankle trauma?

Background: Ankle injuries are one of the most common complaints of patients presenting to emergency departments (ED). The Ottawa ankle rules (OAR) was introduced to help physicians to decide who may require x-ray for blunt injuries. The present study aimed at validating the four steps weight-bearing rule of OAR as a sole criterion.    Methods: This prospective observational study wa...

When do you x-ray ankle sprains in patients with acute ankle injuries?

A Novel Suture Button Construct for Acute Ankle Syndesmotic Injuries; A Prospective Clinical and Radiological Analysis.

  Background: The importance of the syndesmosis in ankle stability is well recognized. Numerous means of fixation have been described for syndesmotic injuries including the suture button technique. Significant cost limits the use the commercially available options. We, therefore, designed a cheap and readily available alternative construct. We aim to assess the results of using a novel suture-...