This varies with the nature and extent of the injury. Fractures requiring an application of a circular cast and multiple and severe ligamentous injuries require urgent follow-up. Soft-tissue injuries in a stable joint can be treated in the emergency department with follow-up in the next few days. The need for orthopaedic follow-up might not be for an operative procedure, but rather to advise and manage the rehabilitation and assess the need for further studies (e.g., MRI). One caveat: In athletic injuries, the assessment at the time of injury, prior to the onset of significant pain, guarding, and swelling, is considerably more reliable than one several hours later.