After surgery to repair an ankle fracture, physical therapy exercise is usually prescribed; however, no randomized, controlled studies have evaluated the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program after removing the post-operative cast. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial (RCT) was published by researchers in Sweden to evaluate a standardized, but individually-suited training program supervised by a physiotherapist.

105 patients were randomly assigned to a control group or physical therapy group after an average of 6 weeks in a plaster cast. The control group received “usual care”: advice and self-directed exercise. While 76% of subjects in the control group also attended physical therapy sessions on their own, their exercises were not the standardized program of the experimental group.

The physical therapy program began 1 week after cast removal and lasted 12 weeks, with 2 sessions per week. Patients also performed exercises at home between physical therapy visits. The neuromuscular training program consisted of range of motion (ROM) exercises, strengthening, balance training, and closed-kinetic chain exercises. Patients used Thera-Band® resistance bands for ankle strengthening exercises as well as wobble board and mini-trampoline exercises for balance training.  Download the article and exercise protocol from the Academy here.

After 12 weeks, the physical therapy group showed improved results compared to the control More >