WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - United States President-elect Joe Biden twisted his ankle after slipping while playing with his dog, his office said on Sunday (Nov 29).

In a brief statement, Biden's office said the incident happened on Saturday and that the 78-year-old Democrat would be examined by an orthopedist on Sunday "out of an abundance of caution".

Biden later visited an orthopedic specialist in Newark, Delaware.

Reporters traveling with him were held on a bus and could not see the president-elect enter the building.

Biden will be the oldest person to assume the American presidency when he is sworn in next year and his health is likely to be watched closely by allies and opponents alike.