The Ottawa Ankle Rules
Do I NEED a Scan?
The Ottawa ankle rules are a set of guidelines for clinicians to help decide if a patient with foot or ankle pain should be offered X-rays to diagnose a possible bone fracture. Before the introduction of the rules most patients with ankle injuries would have been imaged.
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The Ankle
The most common ankle sprain is of the lateral or outside part of the ankle. There are three lateral ligaments
These three ligaments are often injured or torn in a lateral ankle sprain. |
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Causes of an ankle sprain
The main cause of ankle sprains is excessive movements. These movements are usually twisting, turning, and rolling of the foot. The risk of a fractureis greatest during activities that involve explosive side-to-side motion or sports with the ability to stand on another persons foot , such as Netball, basketball, volleyball, rugby league or union or AFL. Sprained ankles can also occur during normal daily activities such as stepping off a curb or slipping on ice. or any high velocity impact to the ankle (such as a motor vehicle accident). |
