Primary Care Assessment of Limb Injuries course for GPs

This session considers the assessment and management of common fractures and dislocations and provides an overview of how best to manage these injuries in primary care. This session was reviewed by Richard Stones and last updated in March 2015.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Assess limbs for signs and symptoms of injury, dislocation or fracture
• Assess and manage potential rib fractures
• List the Ottawa rules for ankle injuries
• Describe how commonly sustained limb fractures present
• Describe the nature of fractures to neck of femur, wrist (including scaphoid) and knee

Patients with fractures and dislocations often present initially to primary care. Although high energy trauma is usually implicated, this is not always so, particularly when bones or joints are weakened by local or systemic diseases.