Comparison of orthotic taping and ankle bracing in treatment of sprained ankle at a military school

The functional treatments of sprained ankle are widely used and accepted by physicians. However, reviewing the literature was not conclusive regarding the effectiveness of different kinds of functional treatments. The present study was an attempt to compare orthotic taping with ankle bracing in the treatment of sprained ankle at one of the military schools. All injured patients with acute sprained ankle received standard treatments (rest, ice, compressive bandage and elevation) at the clinic. After 5-7 days, 150 patients with grade II and III injury were randomly assigned to two different groups: one group was treated with taping and the other one with bracing for 4 weeks. Standard post-injury training was performed for both groups in the same way. Patients’ satisfaction and their skin complications were assessed using a questionnaire and a numerical scale for outcome evaluation. Then, the functioning of the ankle joint was examined using Karlsson’s scoring scale and its range of motion (ROM). Those treated with bracing reported much more comfort and satisfaction than those treated with taping, and skin complications were significantly lower in them (16.4% vs. 51.9%). However, the ankle joint functioning and the perceived pain were the same for both groups. Treatment of sprained ankle with bracing was more eligible from patients’ point of view, but in the case of the functional aspects, both treatments were found to be the same.