Date of Award

8-1980

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Daniel J. Rouchie

Second Advisor

Jeanne Donovan

Abstract

The ankle injury is one of the most common athletic injuries. Proper treatment of the sprained ankle can avoid more serious complications and in sure early return of the athlete to activity. There exists a wide variety of medical opinion concerning treatment of the second degree ankle sprain. This divergence of medical opinion creates confusion on the part of the athlete, coach, and parent. This project has attempted to give coaches, physical education teachers , and parents a better understanding of the types of treatment available, where these therapies may be found, and which treatment may be most effective.

A questionnaire, a Likert type ten question survey, was used to gain professional opinions on the treatment of second degree athletic ankle sprains. The nature of the instrument was to allow medical professionals to give alternate opinions on treatment of second degree athletic ankle sprains which is of some debate in the medical community. Data was treated employing a two-way chi-square test of independence.

This statistical manipulation gives some indication of differences in observed and expected frequency of responses. Data was categorized into three treatment phases. The first treatment phase was expressed attitudes from four medical professions: Medical Doctors, Orthopedic Surgeons, Sports Medicine Specialists, and Certified Athletic Trainers. During the second data treatment phase, respondents were categorized by years of professional practice. The third treatment phase introduced the number of ankle sprains treated over an eighteen month period as a variable.

In the first treatment phase, the hypothesis, that group membership is independent of expressed attitudes toward the treatment of the ankle injury, was rejected on seven of the ten questions. In the second treatment phase, the hypothesis, that years of professional practice is independent of expressed attitudes toward treatment, was accepted on four of the ten questions. The third hypothesis, that the number of ankle injuries treated in an eighteen month period is independent of expressed attitudes, was rejected on all ten questions.

The general trend indicated by the study demonstrates almost universal use of ice, compression, and elevation as primary treatment of the ankle sprain. Beyond that, disagreement arises. An examination of the data revealed little conclusive information as to which is the best follow-up treatment available for the athlete who incurs a second degree ankle sprain.

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