About Katherine WD Dolbec, MD, FACEP, CAQSM

Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine
University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine

SplintER Series: Hip, Hip, Hooray!

A 67-year-old male with a history of bilateral total hip arthroplasties (THA) several years ago presents with left hip pain after a fall. He was walking downstairs and slipped, twisting his leg internally and with adduction and flexion of the hip to catch himself. He denies falling but felt an immediate pop in his left hip and could no longer bear weight. AP and lateral radiographs of the pelvis and left hip were obtained and are shown above (Image 1. Case courtesy of Dr Andrew Taylor, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 67457).   (more…)

SplintER Series: Stop! Hammer Time

mallet finger
A 54-year-old female presents to the emergency department with 3rd and 4th right finger pain after “jamming” them a week ago. She was reaching to tap someone on the shoulder and they backed into her hand forcing her fingers into flexion. She has swelling and pain at the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint of her 3rd and 4th digits on the right and cannot extend the digits at the DIP joint. An x-ray of the right hand was obtained and is shown above (Figure 1: Lateral radiographs of the right hand. Author’s own images).

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SplintER Series: To Immobilize or Not to Immobilize: That is the Question

A patient presents to the Emergency Department after sustaining a twisting knee injury while skiing. She felt a pop and was unable to bear weight afterward secondary to pain and a feeling of instability. Shortly after the injury, she noted increased swelling and pain. On examination, she has a moderate effusion and a positive Lachman test. An x-ray was obtained and is shown above (Image 1. Case courtesy of Mikael Häggström, M.D. – Author info – Reusing images, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons).

 

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