The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-08-05

ago. The only improvement on the
methods he used is the injection
of a local anasthetic-procaine-
into the injured ligaments.
In my youth during my novi-
tate in medicine it was a common
saying that a sprain was worse
than a fracture. The basis of this
was that a sprain kept the victim
in bed longer than a fracture, and
the limping lasted longer.
It didn't seem to make sense
that a sprain, which is just a
stretching and possibly tearing OF
the ligaments around the ankle,
could be worse than q fracture
which is a break in the bone, but
such sayings as quoted above have
a way of being solemnly repeated,
so they acquire the air of wisdom
and authority.
Treatment Delayed Recovery
What my Scotch surgical chief
found out was that it wasn't the
injury itself but the treatment Of
sprains then prevalent that made
a sprain worse than a fracture.
The practice was to put the
sprained ankle in a plaster cast
and keep it and its owner in bed
for at least six weeks. Then when
the cast was cut of, the amount
of walking was very strictly lin
tied. Later on a heavy bandag-
ing with adhesive was substi-
tuted for the plaster cast, but the
bed rest was still enjoined.
The Scotch surgeon found an
obscure item in an English medi-
cal journal that some wilful boys
with sprained ankles to which ad-
hesive plaster had been applied
had diso6eyed the injunctions to
stay in bed and had sneaked out
and played tennis and that far
from making their ankles worse
they were completely we'll and
tore the adhesive plaster of at
the end of 10 days and had the un-
blushing nerve to go about their
business with nary q limp from
then on.
1t is to those disobedient boys
that the modern ankle sprain owes
its rapid recovery.
OF course the first step in treat
ing an ankle sprain by modern
methods is to have an X-ray and
be perfectly certain that it is q
sprain and not a fracture. And
then go ahead.
A convincing report on over
200 ankle sprains is that of Lieut.
Commander Paul E. McMaster,
of the Medical Corps of the Navy.
One group of his patients he
strapped with adhesive tape and
sent Immediately to duty. One
group was treated by rest in bed
with cold and later hot applica-
tons to reduce pain and swelling.
Another group was given only an
elastic bandage support and sent
to duty.
Same Results
All Of these groups had about
the same results. The period of
disability never lasted more than
a few days and the amount Of pain
and limping was never trouble
some.
The best results were seen In
still another group which had the
procaine injection around the sore
ligaments. The tenderest spots
were selected for the injection
The procaine relieved the pain in
stantly and the subject was or
dered to move around on the foot
Immediately. The relief of pain
was really the great help and prob
ably the reason this group did
so much better than any Of the
others. Disability, to quote the
report, twas entirely absent in
many and rarely lasted over TWEEN
ty-four hours in the others"
The treatment applies TO
sprains in other joints, such as the
knee, also. In fact to contusions
in general.
What the exercise does TO the
sprain is 10 keep the circulation
going about small clots which
might otherwise turn into scar It's
sue and overcome muscle spasm.
groups came, she haC
10 aend NOT Ia a cnrnar delicaips