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Acute ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in emergency departments.
Ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal
injuries. In all sports injuries, the rate of ankle sprains ranges from 15 to
20 %. Here, in this study, a
contrast between elastic bandage and splint is well explained, proving one
better than the other for acute ankle sprains.
Acute ankle
sprains are one of the most common injuries in emergency departments.
Immobilization is widely accepted as the basic treatment modality for acute
ankle sprains; however, immobilization method remains controversial. In this
study, we aimed to compare two treatment modalities: splint and elastic bandage
for the management of acute ankle sprains.
This prospective
study was conducted in the emergency department. Fifty-one consecutive patients
who were admitted to the emergency department owing to the complaint of ankle
sprain and who were treated with an elastic bandage or a splint were included
in the study. After bone injury was ruled out, treatment choice was left to the
on-shift physicians’ discretion. The extent of edema was evaluated before and
after the treatment by using a small, graduated container filled with warm
water. Volume differences were calculated by immersing both lower extremities
in a container filled to a constant level. Pain was evaluated using the visual
analogue scale.
There were 25
patients in the elastic bandage group and 26 patients in the splint group. VAS
scores of these groups before and after the treatment were similar. Although
edema size before and after the treatment were similar between the groups,
edema size reduction was significantly more in the elastic bandage group
[p=0,025].
This study showed
that treatment of acute ankle sprains with an elastic bandage was more
effective than splint in reducing edema. Therefore, an elastic bandage could be
preferred over a splint for the treatment of acute ankle sprains.
Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2013 Aug; 133(8): 1129-1141
Comparison of two main treatment modalities for acute ankle sprain
Serkan Bilgic et al.
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