880 Improving the Acute Knee Injury Pathway – A Regional Quality Improvement Project in the Oxford University Hospitals

Abstract Introduction There are many patients being referred from A&E to orthopaedic trauma clinics in OUH for suspected ligament or meniscal damage, without convincing evidence of injury. This has led to demand for providing point of care ultrasound and streamlining of the referral process. Method We conducted an audit of all A&E presentations at the OUH receiving a knee XR across 3 months and tracked their investigative and referral progress. Results: Conclusions Only 30% (57/182) patients referred to the Trauma clinic were deemed to have a serious ligament or meniscal injury. It is difficult to assess the extent of knee injury without specialist diagnostic equipment, which includes MRI or point of care ultrasound. This project has resulted in new trial protocols exploring the use of these technologies to improve this pathway.