Acute orthopedic complaints summed up:

Emergencies – hip dislocations and ankle dislocations with tenting.

Surgical Urgencies – open fractures, compartment syndrome, high pressure injection injuries (paint being injected into the soft tissue for example).

The majority of other complaints can be managed via:

• Splint, ice, ibuprofen/Tylenol
• Rest/non-weight bearing
• Follow up ortho (time for referral depends on the pathology)

99% of all orthopedic complaints I see are managed simply by “splinting and sending.” Do not over complicate it in the majority of situations. As always, use your own clinical judgement.