Often times, I get called to triage to help decide whether a patient should be sent to Radiology for an initial x-ray after injuring their knee, ankle, and/or foot. After teaching one of the nurses about the Ottawa rules, she taped a list of these rules on the triage wall.

This installment of the Paucis Verbis (In a Few Words) e-card series reviews Ottawa Knee, Ankle, and Foot Rules.

PV Card: Ottawa Knee, Ankle, and Foot Rules


Adapted from [1-3] Go to ALiEM (PV) Cards for more resources.

References

  1. Emparanza J, Aginaga J, Estudio M. Validation of the Ottawa Knee Rules. Ann Emerg Med. 2001;38(4):364-368. [PubMed]
  2. Bulloch B, Neto G, Plint A, et al. Validation of the Ottawa Knee Rule in children: a multicenter study. Ann Emerg Med. 2003;42(1):48-55. [PubMed]
  3. Mayer D. The injured ankle and foot. BMJ. 2009;339:b2901. [PubMed]
Michelle Lin, MD
ALiEM Founder and CEO
Professor and Digital Innovation Lab Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
Michelle Lin, MD

@M_Lin

Professor of Emerg Med at UCSF-Zuckerberg SF General. ALiEM Founder @aliemteam #PostitPearls at https://t.co/50EapJORCa Bio: https://t.co/7v7cgJqNEn
Michelle Lin, MD