Emergency Management of Skeletal Injuries

1. Introduction to Skeletal Injuries

In this introductory chapter, Katie Whetstone will provide a description of commonly seen skeletal injuries as well as key components of an acute assessment of the potential skeletally injured athlete.

2. Fractures

Whether big bones or small, fractures are one of the more common injuries that the sports physical therapist will need to address acutely. Sometimes fractures can be relatively minor and easy to address, such as a fracture of a toe or finger; however, many times fractures are emergencies that can be associated with life-threatening conditions like shock and distress. In this chapter, Katie Whetstone will address the common types of fractures seen in the athletic population, as well as considerations for acute management of fractures when attempting to immobilize in the field.

3. Dislocations

Second to fractures, dislocations are among the most frequently occurring injuries seen during sporting events, especially during contact sports; however, sports physical therapists are limited in the acute management of dislocations. During this chapter on dislocations, Katie Whetstone will review the common joint dislocations that occur in sport, as well as the typical athlete presentation associated with dislocation. In addition, Katie will review the role of the sports physical therapist as it relates to treatment of acute joint dislocation.

4. Immobilization Lab

Immobilization is the standard of care in the acute management of fractures and dislocations in the field. In this chapter, the sports medicine team will demonstrate the various types of splinting immobilization techniques.

5. Return to Sport

Return-to-play decision-making after fractures can be complicated as it is multifactorial. In this chapter, Katie Whetstone will discuss typical bone healing times, weight-bearing precautions and restrictions, and general return-to-play criteria following a fracture or dislocation.