07 Oct Single Session Advice From Physical Therapist Sufficient After Uncomplicated Ankle Fracture
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Anne Moseley
Senior Research Fellow, Musculoskeletal Division
The George Institute for Global Health
Sydney Australia
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Moseley: Ankle fracture is a common injury and is treated with reduction (realignment), sometimes with surgical fixation, followed by a period of immobilization while the fracture heals. Rehabilitation addresses the detrimental effects of the ankle fracture and the subsequent immobilization. Supervised exercise programmes are a common form of rehabilitation traditionally offered to some patients. The benefits of supervised exercise after immobilization for ankle fracture has been unclear. We conducted a clinical trial to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a supervised exercise programme and advice about self-management (“rehabilitation” group) compared to advice about self-management alone. Contrary to accepted wisdom, we found that a supervised exercise programme did not offer advantages over physical therapist-prescribed self-management.
Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Moseley: Routine care for people after uncomplicated ankle fracture should involve self-management advice at the time of removal of immobilization, but not a supervised exercise programme. Self-management includes advice about returning to activities and instruction for the patient to do their own exercises. This advice can be provided in a single session by a physical therapist in the fracture clinic.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Moseley: Although recovery from ankle fracture is initially rapid, the recovery slows with time and can be incomplete. Identification of patients who make an incomplete recovery and developing targeted treatment for this group could be the focus of future research.
Citation:
Dr. Anne Moseley (2015). Single Session Advice From Physical Therapist Sufficient After Uncomplicated Ankle Fracture
Last Updated on October 7, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD