WOBBLE BOARD TRAINING AFTER PARTIAL SPRAINS OF THE LATERAL LIGAMENTS OF THE ANKLE - A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY

Ankle sprains are often complicated by functional instability and repe ated ankle sprains. Rehabilitation with wobble boards in patients with functional instability has been tested and significant improvement ha s been found compared to no training. The aim of this study was to inv estigate whether, the number of patients with residual symptoms follow ing ankle sprains could be reduced by training on a wobble board durin g a 12-week recovery period. In addition, the influence of training in the time course reduction of edema was investigated. We performed a p rospective study including 61 patients, all active in sports for more than 2 hours a week with primary ankle sprains. The effect of a 12-wee k training program with wobble board was compared with no training. Fo rty-eight patients completed the study. In the follow-up period ((X) o ver bar = 230 days), we found significantly fewer recurrent sprains, a nd significantly fewer patients in the training group had functional i nstability of the ankle compared with the no training group. There wer e no differences in the two groups in the time which elapsed before pa tients were painless at walking during running, or al sports. Volumetr ic measurements revealed no difference in the speed of reduction of he matoma and edema of the ankle and foot between the two groups. We conc lude that training on a wobble board early after primary stage 2 ankle sprains is effective in reducing residual symptoms following this les ion and that training does not seem to affect the rime course reductio n in edema.