Often patients with ankle fractures that are stable, and thus do not require surgery, are given follow-up x-rays because their orthopedists are concerned about possibly having misjudged the stability of the fracture. When a number of follow-up x-rays were reviewed, however, all the fractures that had initially been judged stable were found to have healed correctly. Therefore, it is a waste of money to order follow-up x-rays of ankle fracture initially judged stable.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
Q45[c1]. Often patients with ankle fractures that are stable, and thus do not require surgery, are given follow-up x-rays because their orthopedists are concerned about possibly having misjudged the stability of the fracture. When a number of follow-up x-rays were reviewed,
however, all the fractures that had initially been judged stable were found to have healed correctly. Therefore,it is a waste of money to order follow-up x-rays ofankle fractures initially judged stable.[c2]
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
(A) Doctors who are general practitioners[c3] rather than orthopedists are less likely than
orthopedists to judge the stability of an ankle fracture correctly.
(8)[c4] Many ankle injuries for which an initial x-ray is ordered are revealed by the x-ray not to involve any fracture of the ankle.
(C)X-rays of patients of many different orthopedists working in several hospitals were reviewed. C[c5]
(D) [c6]The healing of ankle fractures that have been surgically repaired is always checked by means of a follow-up x-ray.
(E)[c7] Orthopedists routinely order follow-up x-rays for fractures of bones other than ankle bones.