W. Va. Code R. § 85-20-42

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 85-20-42 - Treatment Guidelines: Injuries to the Knee

42.1. The vast majority of knee injuries result from direct trauma to the joint or are caused by torsional or angulatory forces. These injuries vary in severity from simple ligamentous strains to complex injuries involving ligamentous disruption with meniscal damage and associated fracture. This guideline is designed to guide the practitioner in the appropriate management of these injuries and to establish a logical sequence for the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of the more complex injuries.In general, knee injuries should be referred for orthopedic consultation and/or treatment under the following circumstances:

a. Failure of a presumed knee sprain to show progressive resolution and respond to appropriate conservative treatment in a period of three (3) weeks;

b. Radiographic evidence of an associated fracture;

c. The initial presence of a tense hemarthrosis or the development of a recurrent hemarthrosis;

d. An acutely locked or an acutely dislocated knee;

e. Clinical evidence of gross ligamentous instability; and f. A presumed diagnosis of a meniscal injury.

W. Va. Code R. § 85-20-42