The ROCKY REHAB trial will provide a pragmatic approach to evaluate if incorporating a rocky, uneven terrain treadmill into the proprioceptive rehabilitation received during physical therapy can improve outcomes and reduce reinjury rates in patients with ankle instability.
Lower limb sprains and strains are three-times more prevalent than any other acute injury in the Armed Forces, with lateral ankle sprains being the most common injury sustained during active-duty. Many individuals who experience an ankle sprain will go on to develop chronic ankle instability. Training and rehabilitation programs that incorporate proprioceptive training are particularly effective at improving outcomes and reducing re-injury rate. However, current programs do not help individuals "train to the tasks" that will be encountered once those individuals leave physical therapy. The proposed intervention evaluates the use of a rocky, uneven terrain treadmill that specifically targets aspects of the real-world environment for restoring and improving short-term function and performance and reducing the long-term risk of re-injury. This trial will randomly allocate 312 individuals with ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability to standard of care physical therapy or the standard of care supplemented with the uneven treadmill intervention. Patient reported outcome, performance measures, and biomechanical measures of muscle activations and plantar pressures will be evaluated. Patient reported outcomes and reinjury rates will be tracked for 18 months.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
312
Progressive proprioceptive training on the uneven treadmill with up to twelve training sessions. Subjects will be advanced through activities with progression pragmatically assessed by the physical therapists for the benefit and tolerance of the individual subject. Activities may include: slow walking, fast walking, inclined/declined walking, head turning, vision obstruction, dual task walking, fatigued walking, load carriage. Standard of care physical therapy is still provided.
Standard of Care Physical Therapy
Naval Hospital Camp Pendelton
Oceanside, California, United States
RECRUITINGNaval Medical Center San Diego
San Diego, California, United States
RECRUITINGChange in the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool
The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool is a 9-item questionnaire, 30 points max score, with higher scores indicating better function. The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool evaluates the severity of ankle instability during sport and activities of daily living, as well as pain.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks), first ( 2 weeks) and second (4 weeks) interim assessments, discharge assessment (6 weeks) and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Change in the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure, Activities of Daily Living Subscale
The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure: Activities of Daily Living subscale is a 21-item questionnaire with 84 points max, with higher scores indicating better function. The Activities of Daily Living Subscale is used to assess activity limitations and restrictions for individuals with foot and ankle disorders, including ankle sprains, during activities of daily living.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks), first ( 2 weeks) and second (4 weeks) interim assessments, discharge assessment (6 weeks) and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Change in the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure, Sports Subscale
The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure: Sports subscale is a 8-item questionnaire with 32 points max, with higher scores indicating better function. The Sports Subscale is used to assess activity limitations and restrictions for individuals with foot and ankle disorders, including ankle sprains, during recreational/sport activities.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks), first ( 2 weeks) and second (4 weeks) interim assessments, discharge assessment (6 weeks) and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Change in the Lower Extremity Functional Scale
The Lower Extremity Functional Scale is a 20-item questionnaire with 80 points max, with higher scores indicating better function. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale is used for individuals with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders and assesses activity limitations and participation restrictions.
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Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks), first ( 2 weeks) and second (4 weeks) interim assessments, discharge assessment (6 weeks) and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Change in the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia is a 11-item questionnaire with scores between 11 and 44 points, with higher scores indicating greater kinesiophobia. The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia is used to assess subjective ratings of fear-related concepts.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks), first ( 2 weeks) and second (4 weeks) interim assessments, discharge assessment (6 weeks) and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Change in the Numeric Pain Rating Scale
The Numeric Pain Rating Scale is a 4-item questionnaire with scores between 0 and 40 points, with higher scores indicating greater pain. In the Numeric Pain Rating Scale subjects select a value that is most in line with the intensity of pain they have experienced in the past 24 hours.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks), first ( 2 weeks) and second (4 weeks) interim assessments, discharge assessment (6 weeks) and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Change in the Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire
The Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire measures the number of instances where subjects engaged in mild, moderate, and strenuous physical activity for greater than 15 minutes. Modified to account over the previous week rather than a typical week. Higher scores indicate more physical activity where 3, 5, and 9 points are given for each time a mild, moderate, or strenuous activity is engaged.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks), first ( 2 weeks) and second (4 weeks) interim assessments, discharge assessment (6 weeks) and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months.
Change in the Y Balance Test
The Y Balance Test measures the distance a subject can reach in three directions, anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral without moving a support foot or touching the reach foot to the floor. The Y Balance Test is scored based on the composite reach distance normalized by the subject's leg length.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks) and discharge assessment (6 weeks).
Change in the Side Hop Test
The Side Hop Test measures the how long in seconds it takes for a subject can hop on one foot across two lines spaced 30 cm apart.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks) and discharge assessment (6 weeks).
Change in the Edgren Side Step Test
The Edgren Side Step Test measures the distance in meters a subject sidestep across in 10 seconds traversing 5 lines 1 meter apart before reversing direction.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks) and discharge assessment (6 weeks).
Change in the T-Test
The T-Test measures the time it takes for a subject to traverse a 40m course in the shape of a "T" consisting of 10m each of forward motion, right side shuffle, left side-shuffle, and backwards motion.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks) and discharge assessment (6 weeks).
Change in Electromyography (EMG)
EMG will be collected during walking to examine muscle activation timings and magnitudes.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks) and discharge assessment (6 weeks).
Change in the Plantar Pressures
Plantar Pressures will be collected during walking to examine pressure distribution and progression of the center of pressure during stance phase.
Time frame: Baseline assessment (0 weeks) and discharge assessment (6 weeks).
Ankle Reinjury Status
Timing of any ankle reinjuries during the follow-up period period will be recorded.
Time frame: Over an 18 month follow-up period.