Using a Smartphone App to Help Children and Young Adults Recover From Acute Ankle Inversion Injuries A Randomized Study

What this Trial Is About

Ankle sprains are a common injury, especially among children and adolescents, leading to prolonged pain and delayed return to normal activities. This trial investigates whether using a smartphone app for children and young adults with acute ankle inversion injuries improves functional outcomes such as pain, mobility, and return to activity compared to standard paper handouts. The study focuses on guidance tailored to pain management and recovery, aiming to overcome the limitations of current one-size-fits-all care approaches. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups one group will use a smartphone app that provides education, daily reminders on pain management including medication and exercises, and collects pain and functional scores at several timepoints up to 14 days. The other group will receive standard care through paper-based discharge instructions and will use a data collection app only for recording outcomes. The app-based group receives interactive support, while the standard care group receives the same information in printed form. During the study, participants will record pain levels and functional abilities using standardized scales on days 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14 after discharge. Researchers will monitor pain management methods, range of motion exercises, and time to return to pre-injury function. The primary outcome is the Activities Scale for Kids-performance version score on day 7 post-discharge. The study includes children and young adults aged 12 to 30 years and involves assessments focused on recovery progress and safety over the two-week period.

A Mobile Recovery Guidance App for Children and Young Adults With Acute Ankle Inversion Injuries