[Ankle injury without fracture in children: cast immobilization versus symptomatic treatment. Impact on absenteeism and quality of life].
Treatment methods for ankle injury in children are numerous and have comparable results. The impact on absenteeism and quality of life is an interesting criterion to consider in order to help doctors in their initial treatment choice.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to compare two therapeutic strategies for ankle injury without fracture in children in terms of the impact on school absenteeism, parents' professional absenteeism, and quality of life. The strategies compared were cast immobilization of the ankle and a purely symptomatic treatment with no immobilization.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective, comparative, and randomized study. The population comprised children between 8 and 15 years of age, consulting for a first episode of ankle injury in a pediatric-emergency department of a hospital center in Marseille, France. A clinical and radiographical report was systematically done. Children were seen after 1 week to provide the clinical monitoring, assess the child's and parents' absenteeism, and assess the quality of life.


RESULTS
Sixty-two patients were studied. There was no difference in clinical progression after 7 days between the two treatment groups. Quality of life was also comparable. However, the children's absenteeism and the parents' absenteeism were higher in the casted group.
Launay
F
F
Service de chirurgie orthopédique infantile, hôpital Timone-Enfants, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France. franck.launay@ap-hm.fr
Barrau
K
K
Simeoni
M-C
MC
Jouve
J-L
JL
Bollini
G
G
Auquier
P
P
D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D001458:Bandages; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002648:Child; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome