Emergency Management of Skeletal Injuries
Presented by Katie Whetstone
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As physical therapists, we are often comfortable taking care of musculoskeletal injuries such as fractures and dislocations subacutely, but rarely do we witness and treat those injuries acutely. The sports physical therapist, on the other hand, must be ready at all times to skillfully and safely assess and manage these injuries when they happen during training or competition. In this course, the sports medicine team of Katie Whetstone (sports physical therapist) and Todd Arnold (sports medicine physician) will guide you through the practice of assessing, immobilizing, and otherwise treating acute musculoskeletal injuries through instruction and lab demonstration. Additionally, we will help you to monitor for signs of life-threatening injuries that are often associated with skeletal injuries and discuss return-to-play guidelines following skeletal injuries.
Meet your instructor
Katie Whetstone
Dr. Katie Whetstone is a board-certified clinical specialist in the area of sports physical therapy and a full-time faculty member at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana. Katie has a Bachelor of Science degree in the area of exercise science as well as a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. She also completed…
Chapters & learning objectives
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.
More courses in this series
Emergency Management of Soft-Tissue Injuries
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Environmental Considerations for the Athlete
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Emergency Management of Cardiovascular Conditions
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Emergency Management of Athletes With Spine and Visceral Injuries
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Emergency Management of Skeletal Injuries
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Protective Sports Equipment and Proper Fitting
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