Introduction
New, improved design features rigid thermoplastic shells with adjustable heel strap to help prevent inversion/eversion.The gel bladder of the Surround® Gel Ankle Brace may be used for cold therapy to treat tender or swollen ankles. It is suitable for wear from acute to active phases of ankle recovery and rehabilitation.
Indications
• Ankle Injury Prevention
• Post-Op Ankle Treatment
• Chronic Ankle Sprain
• Acute Ankle Injury
• Swollen Ankle
Information on Ordering
Measure the optimum Surround® Gel Ankle Brace height for your patient, upwards from the heel in cm
Innovations
• Gell cushion can be used for cold therapy
• Fits Left or Right
• Minimises ankle rotation, inversion and eversion
Ankle Fracture: Post Operative Swelling
OrthopaedicsandTrauma.com asked Consultant Foot and Ankle Surgeon Steven Hepple about the indications for this brace. He said "Many patients have postoperative ankle swelling for some months after open reduction and internal fixation of an ankle fracture. This is a useful product in the first line management of this swelling on removal of the plaster cast six weeks after the fixation. Stephen said: "the patient need not wear it at night. I ask them to keep the Surround® Gel Ankle Brace in a clean plastic bag in the freezer overnight. This means that after an early morning shower they can slip on the brace and it will both cool and provide the compression needed to avoid the swelling most patients get after a few hours on their feet." He said that after 10 minutes of wear in the morning he asks his patients to retighten the velcro straps to keep up the good fit throughout the day.
As a doctor your advice to the patient in the first six weeks after injury is RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) along with a simple analgesic like Nurofen.
Doctors are also aware that ankle bracing combined with joint cooling does not have a deleterious effect on dynamic ankle joint stabilisation during an inversion in normal subjects. For this reason you can safely advise your patients to put this ankle support in the freezer for an hour before use for maximum benefit. (Cordova ML, Bernard LW, Au KK, Demchak TJ, Stone MB, Sefton JM. Cryotherapy and ankle bracing effects on peroneus longus response during sudden inversion. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2009 May 7. [Epub ahead of print] ).