Tape Versus Semirigid Versus Lace-up Ankle Support in the Treatment of Acute Lateral Ankle Ligament Injury.
Grade II and III Acute Lateral Ankle Ligament Injuries
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Grade II and III Acute Lateral Ankle Ligament Injuries focused on measuring Ankle, ligament injuries, non-surgical treatment, tape, brace, orthotic device, bandage, cost-effectiveness, randomized trial
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients > 18 years
- Grade II or III ankle sprains
- Presentation < 72 hours after the acute injury
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with a history of chronic instability
- Who had a fracture on X-ray investigation
- Other injuries or disabilities on the same limb
- Alcoholism, serious psychiatric and neurological illness
- Patients with bilaterally sprained ankles
- Patients with previous surgery on the lateral ankle ligaments
- Skin diseases where taping is not practicable
- Patients who are unable to give informed consent
- Patients who are unable to fill out questionnaires
- Neuromuscular disorders of the lower extremities
- Active rheumatoid arthritis
- Gait disturbances
Sites / Locations
- Gelre Hospitals
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
tape
Lace-up brace
Semi rigid brace
Group I will be treated with non-elastic adhesive tape around the affected ankle, applied by the 'van Unen-technique'. This technique is an alternative for the 'Coumans- technique'. The rationale of taping is to take the load off the injured tissue, to correct the biomechanics, to protect the injured part and to enhance proprioception and awareness of the injured tissue. Different materials can be used alone or in combination. The bandage material must have an adhesive layer which allows it to adhere to the skin and to itself. Since the direct stabilizing effect of a bandage lasts no longer than about half an hour, the positive effect is presumed to occur primarily through traction on the skin which stimulates muscular activity. Taping is a treatment that involves no loss of time, requires no crutches and is not attended with any ultimate impairment of function.
The ASO (Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis) fits into an athletic or street shoe. The ASO is made of thin, durable ballistic nylon - the same protective material used by law enforcement and military personnel. Support is achieved through exclusive non-stretch nylon stabilizing straps that mirror the stirrup technique of an athletic taping application. The calcaneus is captured, effectively locking the heel. The ASO ankle brace holds the ankle in a biomechanical neutral position, reducing either inversion or eversion type injuries or re-injuries.
A semi-rigid brace, the M-step® from Medi®, will be applied. The foam gel in the pads continuously adapts to give an uninterrupted optimal fit to the constantly changing anatomical conditions, which therefore ensures a uniform compression. The ability of the foam gel pad to adapt allows one orthosis to be used for both the left and the right ankle. The pads are very light and have a soft fleecy surface. Even the edges of the outer moldings are generously padded. The M-step ankle orthosis can be quickly and securely applied by means of two Velcro fasteners; the Velcro fasteners can be detached from the outer shells and fixed individually.