Rearfoot / Ankle · Trauma · Pediatrics · Standard
Tackled Ankle
Podiatric surgery residency interview case. Work through it the way you would at an interview: take the history, ask for the exam and imaging, then commit to a diagnosis and plan.
Chief complaint
"Somebody landed on my ankle and now I can't walk on it."
15-year-old male, called in from the ED; the ED team asks what you want done next.
History of present illness
Right ankle injury during a football game when another player rolled onto the planted, externally rotated foot.
- Immediate lateral and medial ankle pain; unable to continue playing or bear weight
- Swelling developing over the first hour
- No open wound, no numbness or toe color change
- Splinted and iced in the ED; analgesia given
- Last oral intake several hours before arrival; tetanus up to date
Questions a strong candidate asks at this step
- Mechanism: foot position (planted, twisted, inverted vs. everted), direction of the force, height/contact
- Onset, ability to bear weight or finish the game, pop heard
- Pain location: lateral, medial, proximal fibula (Maisonneuve), midfoot
- Open wound, numbness, color change (neurovascular compromise)
- Prior ankle injuries or instability
- Treatment so far: reduction, splint, analgesics
Present the rest of the case
Past history, exam, imaging, assessment, plan and discussion questions, with model answers, are in the interactive trainer. The diagnosis is kept there on purpose so you can practice committing to one.