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Clinical Trial
. 2006;52(3):193-9.
doi: 10.1016/s0004-9514(06)70028-9.

Night splinting does not increase ankle range of motion in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a randomised, cross-over trial

Kathryn M Refshauge  1 , Jacqueline Raymond, Garth Nicholson, Paul A van den Dolder
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Night splinting does not increase ankle range of motion in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a randomised, cross-over trial

Kathryn M Refshauge et al. Aust J Physiother. 2006.

Abstract

Question: What is the effect of wearing splints at night to stretch the plantarflexors on dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease?

Design: Randomised, assessor-blinded, cross-over trial.

Participants: 14 people (1 dropout) aged 7 to 30 years with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Type 1A and with < or = 15 degrees dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM).

Intervention: A splint holding the ankle in maximum dorsiflexion was worn nightly on one leg for 6 weeks followed by the opposite leg for the subsequent 6 weeks.

Outcome measures: The primary outcome was dorsiflexion ROM; secondary outcomes were eversion ROM, and dorsiflexion, eversion, and inversion strength, measured before and after splinting, and three months later.

Results: There was no significant difference between the experimental and the control intervention in terms of ROM or strength. Wearing the splint at night increased dorsiflexion ROM by 1 degree (95% CI -3 to 4; p = 0.72) and eversion ROM by 1 degree (95% CI -1 to 3; p = 0.28) compared to not wearing the splint. Wearing the splint increased dorsiflexion strength by 41 N (95% CI -53 to 135; p = 0.38), reduced eversion strength by 6 N (95% CI -112 to 101; p = 0.92) and reduced inversion strength by 8 N (95% CI -110 to 95; p = 0.88) compared to not wearing the splint.

Conclusion: Wearing night splints does not increase ankle ROM or strength in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Type 1A.

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