Associated Joint Pain With Controlled Ankle Movement (CAM) Walker Boot Wear

Mass General Brigham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain; Ankle Injuries

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03312933

2015P000327/BWH

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the location, frequency and duration of secondary site pain relating to immobilization in a CAM walker boot.

Full description

Patients wearing a CAM walker boot for treatment of a foot or ankle injury were prospectively enrolled and evaluated for new or worsened secondary site pain. Surveys at four time points were completed to evaluate the presence of secondary site pain, its severity, and its impact on overall function.

Enrollment: 100 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All patients enrolled in the study must have an injury that requires wear of a CAM walking boot for at least two weeks and have ambulation ad libitum without other aids (e.g crutches, canes, scooters, wheelchairs, etc.).

Exclusion criteria

• Patients will be excluded from the study if they are a recent post-operative patient for lower extremity injury, have an additional acute injury to a lower extremity or back other than the foot or ankle injury being treated by the CAM walking boot at the time of initiation of treatment, have an ongoing or history of lower extremity joint injury, arthritis, or back pain or have restricted weightbearing as instructed by a physician (i.e. for ankle fracture that cannot weightbear).

Trial design

100 participants in 1 patient group

Duration of boot >2 weeks

Description:

All patients who were placed into a CAM walker boot for \>2 weeks were prospectively enrolled. Patients were placed by an orthopedic cast technician into either a tall or short CAM walker boot, based upon the appropriate boot type needed for treatment. Inclusion criteria included anticipated boot wear for at least two weeks, and weightbearing as tolerated weightbearing restrictions. Exclusion criteria included transitioning into a CAM walker boot as part of a postoperative protocol, injury requiring restricted weightbearing, or an additional acute injury to the lower back or lower extremity. Those who subsequently reported wearing the boot for less than two weeks or had a treatment plan change were removed from the study.