* Jay Hertel,† and Craig R. Denegar†
This article has been Objective:
Elevation and intermittent compression are routinely prescribed after soft tissue injury. Individuals must, however, resume activity in an upright position. The effect of gravity-dependent positioning after elevation and intermittent compression has not been extensively examined. Our purpose was to examine the effects of gravity-dependent positioning after elevation and intermittent compression on the volume of injured ankles.
Design and Setting:
Ankle-injured subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups: elevation or elevation and intermittent compression. Each treatment lasted 30 minutes.
Subjects:
Twelve college students with inversion ankle sprains 2 to 4 days earlier participated.
Measurements:
Measurements of ankle volume were performed before treatment and at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after treatment.
Results:
Regardless of treatment, ankle volume decreased (by 17.25 ± 4.05 mL) between the pretreatment measurement and the immediate posttreatment measurement (P < .05). The effects of both treatments, however, lasted less than 5 minutes after the limb was returned to a gravity-dependent position.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that elevation or elevation and intermittent compression do not effectively decrease ankle volume for a prolonged period of time in patients with postacute ankle sprains.
Keywords: edema, effusion, swelling, volumetric measurement