Utility of Ottawa Ankle Rules in an Aging Population: Evidence for Addition of an Age Criterion

The Ottawa ankle rules (OAR) indicate that any patient with the inability to ambulate up to four steps or with tenderness at either malleoli should receive diagnostic imaging for an acute ankle injury. Current trends indicate that health care providers tend to order more images in practice than necessary according to OAR. The purpose of this study is to analyze OAR in geriatric versus nongeriatric patients. Secondarily, we hope to refine these guidelines for ankle imaging in the hopes that health care providers will be comfortable in adhering to these guidelines more strictly.

Source: Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery - February 25, 2020 Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Jordan Murphy, David A Weiner, Joshua Kotler, Brian McCormick, Douglass Johnson, Jacob Wisbeck, David Milzman Source Type: research