The Source for Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Jobs
Tip of the Day for Knee Injuries
by Scott Frischknecht, PA-C - December 12, 2011
Prompt diagnosis of acute knee injuries is critical. Taking a good medical history provides the first key in making the correct diagnosis. Indeed the history can lead the provider to quickly identify the specific knee problem. It takes only a few minutes to ask the patients simple questions about the mechanism of the injury. Particular attention should be made to the following points:
A history of a twisting injury to the knee often denotes injury to a meniscus.
“Catching or locking” of the knee following the injury also implicates the meniscus.
A “pop” which was heard or felt at the time of the injury often implies a ligament tear.
Significant swelling and stiffness which occurs immediately at the time of injury is often the result from hemorrhage into the knee. This further points to ligamentous pathology.
Knee instability is a common complaint with torn ligaments.
A history of sudden collapse of the knee with weakness can indicate extensor mechanism injury such as quadriceps or patellar tendon rupture.
A complaint of mild localized tenderness and bruising without any other symptoms is often a simple contusion.
Remember to listen to the patient. Patients will indeed tell you what happened if you give them the chance. Particularly with knee injuries, a good history often leads to the correct diagnosis. And your patients will quickly learn that you care enough to listen to their complaints.
Scott has been a full time practicing Physician Assistant for 28 years. Having been trained in the U.S. Army Physician Assistant Program and having worked in orthopedics for the past 24 years, has considerable experience in injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Scott lectures every year at numerous continuing medical education conferences around the country, including the AAPA meeting for the past 21 years. His popularity as a speaker is well known to anyone who has heard him and he’s respected for his plain and practical approach. Scott consistently provides simple and common sense “pearls” that can be readily incorporated into every day practice. In addition to his full time job, Scott is a clinical instructor at the University of Utah Physician Assistant Program where he has been named “Outstanding Instructor of the Year” no less than twelve times. He has also taught in the Advanced Practice Nursing Program at the University of Utah.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
