Randomized controlled study of ultrasound therapy in the management of acute lateral ligament sprains of the ankle joint. Ultrasound in the treatment of ankle sprains. Ultrasound in the treatment of sprained ankles. [Evaluation of ultrasonics and electric stimulation in the treatment of sprained ankles. A controlled study].
To determine the efficacy of a fixed dose of ultrasound energy to treat acute lateral ligament sprains of the ankle joint.
                Double-blind randomised controlled trial.
                Accident and Emergency department of University Teaching Hospital.
                Patients presenting at Accident and Emergency with ankle injuries.
                Ultrasound or placebo, and Tubigrip.
                Pain measured with visual analogue scales, swelling using a tape measure, range of movement using a fluid-filled goniometer, and weight bearing using two scales simultaneously.
                Patients in both groups improved symptomatically. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in any outcome measure. Within groups, statistically significant differences were detected in pain perceived, and range of movement (dorsiflexion).
                At the dose and duration used, ultrasound therapy is no better than placebo in the management of lateral ligament injuries. Ultrasound is commonly used in association with other forms of treatment in the management of sprains of the lateral ligament of the ankle. Despite its widespread use there is little scientific evidence to support its role in the management of sprained ankles. We have conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial to compare the results of physiotherapy for sprains of the lateral ligament of the ankle without the use of ultrasound with physiotherapy which included ultrasound. The results in the 154 patients who entered the trial demonstrate that there was no significant difference between the results achieved by the group treated with ultrasound and by those managed without. nan nan
The evidence from the five small placebo-controlled trials included in this review does not support the use of ultrasound in the treatment of acute ankle sprains. The potential treatment effects of ultrasound appear to be generally small and of probably of limited clinical importance, especially in the context of the usually short-term recovery period for these injuries. However, the available evidence is insufficient to rule out the possibility that there is an optimal dosage schedule for ultrasound therapy that may be of benefit.