Sports Med
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Review Comparative Study
Treatment of acute lateral ankle ligament rupture in the athlete. Conservative versus surgical treatment.
Acute lateral ankle ligament sprains are common in young athletes (15 to 35 years of age). Diagnostic and treatment protocols vary. Therapies range from cast immobilisation or acute surgical repair to functional rehabilitation. ⋯ Well-designed physical therapy programmes usually reduce instability. For individuals with chronic instability refractory to conservative measures, surgery may be needed. Subtalar instability should be carefully evaluated when considering surgery.
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The objective of this review is to evaluate the measurement tools currently used in the study of eccentric contraction-induced muscle injury, with emphasis on their usefulness for quantifying the magnitude and duration of the injury and as indicators of muscle functional deficits. In studies in humans, it was concluded that measurements of maximal voluntary contraction torque and range of motion provide the best methods for quantifying muscle injury. ⋯ For future studies, more effort should be put into measuring other contractile parameters (e.g. force/torque-velocity and force/torque-length relationships maximal shortening velocity and fatigue susceptibility) that may reflect injury-induced functional impairments. The use of histology, ratings of soreness and the measurement of blood or bath levels of myofibre proteins should be discouraged for purposes of quantifying muscle injury and/or functional impairment.