Platelet Rich Plasma Helps for "High" Ankle Sprains

"High" ankle sprains are significant injuries that typically result in prolonged recovery and time away from sports.  This type of injury involves the strong ligaments that connect two of the major bones of the ankle.  They are also known as syndesmotic injuries.

A recent randomized, controlled trial found that athletes that were treated with ultrasonic guided injections returned to play faster and has less pain than a control group.  Return to play was almost 20 days faster for the PRP group.  (40.8 days vs 59.6 days, p = 0.006)  (See abstract below)

This data supports the use of PRP for athletes with this type of injury.  Further studies will help confirm this value.

AM
TotalTendon

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014 Jun 18. [Epub ahead of print]

Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) as a treatment for high ankle sprain in elite athletes: a randomized control trial.

Laver L1, Carmont MR, McConkey MO, Palmanovich E, Yaacobi E, Mann G, Nyska M, Kots E, Mei-Dan O.

Author information

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Syndesmotic sprains are uncommon injuries that require prolonged recovery. The influence of ultrasound-guided injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into the injured antero-inferior tibio-fibular ligaments (AITFL) in athletes on return to play (RTP) and dynamic stability was studied.

METHODS:

Sixteen elite athletes with AITFL tears were randomized to a treatment group receiving injections of PRP or to a control group. All patients followed an identical rehabilitation protocol and RTP criteria. Patients were prospectively evaluated for clinical ability to return to full activity and residual pain. Dynamic ultrasound examinations were performed at initial examination and at 6 weeks post-injury to demonstrate re-stabilization of the syndesmosis joint and correlation with subjective outcome.

RESULTS:

All patients presented with a tear to the AITFL with dynamic syndesmosis instability in dorsiflexion-external rotation, and larger neutral tibia-fibula distance on ultrasound. Early diagnosis and treatment lead to shorter RTP, with 40.8 (±8.9) and 59.6 (±12.0) days for the PRP and control groups, respectively (p = 0.006). Significantly less residual pain upon return to activity was found in the PRP group; five patients (62.5 %) in the control group returned to play with minor discomfort versus one patient in the treatment group (12.5 %). One patient in the control group had continuous pain and disability and subsequently underwent syndesmosis reconstruction.

CONCLUSIONS:

Athletes suffering from high ankle sprains benefit from ultrasound-guided PRP injections with a shorter RTP, re-stabilization of the syndesmosis joint and less long-term residual pain. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.