Question

Chris Matthews is an 8-year-old male patient who arrives at the office with a swollen right ankle. Chris was climbing a tree this morning and jumped from a lower limb to the ground. When he landed, he felt his ankle “turn over” and he could not stand up. Chris’s mother tells you that she thinks it was about 6 feet from the limb to the ground. She also tells you that she put ice on Chris’s ankle after she brought him into the house but his ankle just kept swelling and Chris still cannot walk. She says that his ankle is badly bruised. Mrs. Matthews is very distraught and asks that Chris be seen immediately. You speak with Dr. Whalen, and she asks you to take Chris to the X-ray department for X-rays. Dr. Whalen examines Chris and reads the X-rays. She wraps Chris’s ankle and tells you Chris has a badly sprained ankle and will need crutches for a few weeks using a non-weight-bearing gait.

What X-ray views did Dr. Whalen order?

What type of crutches would be best to give Chris?

What crutch gait will you teach Chris?

Answer 1

1. The ankle joint X-ray view ordered by the physician would be antero posterior, lateral and mortise view.

2. There are many types of crutches available in market. The two most common tupes are axillary crutch and forearm crutch. Forearm crutches are best suited for children as they are comfortable and do not compress on nerves and muscles.

3. Chris is prescribed non weight bearing. For this swing to gait is taught to patient which may slowly progress to swing through gait.