Acute ankle injuries: clinical decision rules for radiographse.
other · Level V
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Abstract
The need to perform "routine" radiographs after every case of ankle trauma has been repeatedly questioned, since less than 15 percent of ankle injuries are found to involve a significant fracture. Several authors have proposed guidelines to define clinical characteristics that may help physicians identify patients with a higher probability of having a fracture on the radiograph. The Ottawa ankle rules are the latest guidelines developed for the management of ankle injuries. These highly sensitive decision rules may allow a significant reduction in the number of ankle radiographic series ordered and may decrease patients' waiting times and costs without an increased rate of missed fractures or patient dissatisfaction.