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Evidence summaries

Interventions for Preventing Ankle Ligament Injuries

Ankle supports (semi-rigid orthoses or air-cast braces) are beneficial in preventing ankle ligament injuries during high-risk sports activities. Level of evidence: "A"

14 randomised trials with data for 8279 participants were included in a Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 [withdrawn from publication]. All trials included young, mostly male adults participating in sporting activities. There was a significant reduction in the number of ankle sprains in people allocated external ankle support (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.69). This reduction was greater for those with a previous history of ankle sprain, but still possible for those without prior strain. The protective effect of ´high-top´ shoes remains to be established. There was limited evidence for reduction in ankle sprain for those with previous ankle sprains who did ankle disc training exercises.

    References

    • Handoll HH, Rowe BH, Quinn KM et al. WITHDRAWN: Interventions for preventing ankle ligament injuries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011;(5):CD000018. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords