Comparison of Functional Treatment versus Immobilisation in the Treatment of Lateral Ankle Sprains (Grade I and II)

Background - Ankle sprains, of which 85 % approximately comprise lateral ligament complex involvement, can cause pain and other impairments, resulting in utilisation of healthcare resources and absteenism from work. Despite its common occurrence, no specific treatment is considered gold standard. This study assesses the treatment modality for lateral ankle sprain (grade I and II) in the form of functional treatment versus Plaster of Paris immobilisation, with pain and function employed as the outcome measures. Materials and methods This study was carried out on 80 patients, diagnosed with acute lateral ankle sprains (grade I and II), of which every alternate subject was assigned to a functional rehabilitation program (group A) while the remaining subjects were assigned to have their ankle sprain immobilised in below knee cast (group B). All patients were subjected to the standardized treatment protocol of PRICE (protection, rest, ice pack application, compression and elevation). The patients were followed up at two and six weeks. Pain and functional assessment was done using the visual analog scale and Karlsson scoring. All data collected was expressed as Mean +/- SE and p value less than0.05 was considered significant. Results 65 patients completed the study with 33 in the functional treatment group and 31 in the cast immobilisation group. The mean age was 29.77 +/- 6.71 years in the functional treatment group, and 30.85 +/- 6.40 years in the cast immobilisation group. The dominant ankle involved was the right one in the functional treatment group in 18 patients and left ankle in 15 patients, while right and left ankles were equally affected in the cast immobilisation group. There was a male predominance noted in both the groups. Mean differences in visual analog scale scores and Karlsson score between the 2 groups were statistically significant at the end of the study. Conclusion The results of our study indicate the functional treatment provides a better functional support and pain reduction than a below-knee cast.