Changes in functional outcomes in people with high-energy ankle trauma after the use of the ReAktiv Posterior Dynamic Element™ orthosis and a rehabilitation program: A case series.
Sarah Gardner, Mike Frecklington, Kirsten Rose and 1 others
PMID 39140760WHAT IT FOUND
Two men with high-energy ankle trauma improved in walking, balance and lower-limb function after a ReAktiv brace and rehabilitation.
Because both received them together, neither alone can be credited.
Key findings
01The lower-limb function score increased by 25 points in one man and 7 points in the other; only the 25-point change exceeded the reported minimal clinically important difference.
02Walking distance increased by 80 m in one man and 14 m in the other, and walking speed increased by 1.67 meters per second and 0.15 meters per second.
03Four-square step time decreased by 2 s in one man and 0.5 s in the other, and single-leg balance time increased by 32 s in one man and 1 s in the other.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only two men were included, so these changes cannot be treated as evidence that the treatment works for other people. The brace and rehabilitation program were given together, so the contribution of either component alone cannot be separated. The paper is a case series, not a controlled trial, and it does not describe randomisation or a comparison group. No outcome is identified as the primary outcome, and several different measures are reported, so the main finding is not fixed. Follow-up ended at week 8, so longer-term results are not reported. The rehabilitation program was individualized and varied at each session, so it is not clear which specific exercises mattered. Minimal clinically important difference values were not available for this population for several tests, so the size of change may not mean the same thing for every measure.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The paper does not state who funded the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the ReAktiv PDE brace alone improved ankle trauma outcomes. The two participants received the brace and a rehabilitation program together, and this was a case series of two men, so neither component can be credited separately.