Effects of the application of ankle functional rehabilitation exercise on the ankle joint functional movement screen and isokinetic muscular function in patients with chronic ankle sprain.
Sung-Bum Ju, Gi Duck Park
PMID 28265157WHAT IT FOUND
In 16 patients with chronic ankle sprain, a group of 8 performed a 2-week ankle rehabilitation exercise program and improved ankle movement screen scores and muscle strength, while the 8-person control group did not.
Key findings
01In the ankle exercise group of 8 participants, all measured ankle functional movement screen items improved significantly, while the control group of 8 participants did not.
02The same exercise group showed significant improvements in ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion peak torque, while the control group showed no significant change.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 8 participants were in each group, so the result may be unstable. The program lasted only 2 weeks, and the paper reports only before and after values, not follow-up or injury recurrence. The control group is named, but the supplied text does not describe what the control group did. The paper says participants were randomized, but it does not report how randomization was done, whether allocation was concealed, whether assessors were blinded, or how missing data were handled. The exercise program included several balance and weight-bearing exercises, and the study did not test which component produced the change.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this 2-week program prevents re-injury or improves long-term ankle stability. The study measured only functional movement screen scores and peak torque in 16 patients, with 8 in each group, and the paper reports no follow-up or injury outcomes.