title: Compression stockings in ankle sprain: a multicenter randomized study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ankle sprain is a frequently encountered traumatic injury in emergency departments and is associated with important health expenses. However, the appropriate care of this traumatic injury remains a matter of debate. We tested the hypothesis that compression stockings speed up recovery from ankle sprain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recent (<48 hours) cases of ankle sprain without other traumatic injury in patients aged between 18 and 55 years were included. Patients were randomly allocated to placebo Jersey or class II compression stockings (Venoflex; Thuasne, Levallois-Perret, France). The primary end point was the time to recovery of normal painless walking without requirement for analgesic drug. Secondary end points were time to return to sport activity, pain, analgesic consumption, and ankle edema (bimalleolar and midfoot circumferences).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We randomized 126 patients and analyzed 117 patients (60 in the placebo group and 57 in the compression group). The median time to normal painless walking was not significantly decreased (P = .16). No significant differences were observed in pain, analgesic consumption, and bimalleloar and midfoot circumferences. No safety issue was reported. In the subgroup of patients with regular sport activity, the time to return to sport activity was shorter in patients treated with compression stockings (P = .02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compression stockings failed to significantly modify the time to return to normal painless walking in ankle sprain. A beneficial effect was observed only in a subgroup of patients, as compression stockings significantly decreased the time to return to sport activity.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Mouhssine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bendahou
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery Traumatology, hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khiami
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saïdi
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, CHU Tenon, APHP, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, CHU La Miletrie and Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scepi
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riou
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France; Functional Rehabilitation Department, Hôpital Saint Maurice, Saint Maurice, France.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Besch
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France. Electronic address: pierre.hausfater@psl.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hausfater
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000628:therapy*; D053828:Stockings, Compression; D013997:Time Factors