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Preventive interventions for lateral ankle sprains: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Fanjia Wang1, Yonghao Guan2, Zoe Bamber3
1Department of Physical Therapy, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Clinical Rehabilitation
|January 11, 2023
Summary
Proprioceptive training effectively prevents lateral ankle sprains, particularly for those with a history of injury. Ankle bracing shows ambiguous results, needing further research for its preventive role.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Lateral ankle sprains are common injuries, especially in athletic populations.
- Effective preventive strategies are crucial for reducing incidence and recurrence.
- Existing evidence on interventions requires synthesis and evaluation.
Approach:
- A comprehensive literature search was performed across major databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Medline, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov) up to August 2022.
- Included randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies assessing preventive interventions for lateral ankle sprain.
- Methodological quality was assessed using established risk-of-bias tools.
Key Points:
- Proprioceptive training demonstrated a significant preventive effect against lateral ankle sprains (RR = 0.59, p < 0.001).
- A stronger preventive effect of proprioceptive training was noted in individuals with a prior history of ankle sprain (RR = 0.49, p = 0.02).
- Ankle bracing showed no significant benefit over no bracing (RR = 0.43, p = 0.05) and similar effects to proprioceptive training (RR = 0.98, p = 0.97).
Conclusions:
- Proprioceptive training is a recommended intervention for preventing lateral ankle sprains, especially in high-risk individuals.
- The preventive efficacy of ankle bracing is uncertain and warrants further investigation.
- Limited data were available to synthesize findings on pain, swelling, costs, and time loss.
