The sprained ankle: current therapy

The sprained ankle is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries. Three treatments for severe acute sprain are advocated: immobilization, protected mobilization, and primary surgical repair. These injuries are cared for by different medical and paramedical specialties, each with varying skills and interests. In order to define the current preferred treatment, a survey was randomly distributed to 500 physicians. These data indicate that the treatment is generally conservative: cast immobilization was the preferred treatment for the moderate and severe sprain. These data also demonstrated that basic care (e.g., ice and elevation) and rehabilitation were often neglected. Significant differences were noted between the specialties of orthopaedic surgery, family practice, and emergency medicine.