The applications of wearable devices in the rehabilitation of ankle injuries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Wearable devices have been used in the treatment and rehabilitation of ankle injuries. This article systematically reviewed the trials that summarize and evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment after an ankle injury. Three databases, PubMed (1974-2021), Embase, and Web of Science (1950-2021), were searched. The intervention was any wearable device, and the outcome measures were Activities Scale for Kids performance (ASKp), Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS), and Circumference as measured by any validated outcome measure. Two independent authors evaluated the studies with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Four papers were included, involving 476 participants, with a mean age of 29.3 +/- 6.7 years. The mean duration of wearable devices was 3.83 weeks, and the mean length of training was 3.75 weeks. Wearable devices achieved better results compared with control on the functional performance (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29 to 1.04; I-2 = 76%; P < 0.001), as well as ankle score (SMD 0.78; 95% CI 0.22 to 1.35; I-2 = 82%; P < 0.001). The definitive judgment could not be made due to the variability in training, training duration, and outcomes measurement. Wearable devices are a promising approach that has positive effects on ankle injuries in terms of functional performance and reducing the extent of swelling. There is insufficient evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to support this for ankle injury patients using wearable devices. Therefore, there is an need for well-conducted randomized controlled trials investigating more adaptive orthoses to achieve more effective strategies for early functional rehabilitation.