OBJECTIVETo explore rest, cold compress and elevate (RICE) with rest, compress and elevate (RCE) without cold for the treatment of acute ankle sprain, in order to clear mid-term clinical effects.

METHODSEighty-nine patients with acute ankle sprains were collected from January 2013 to March 2014,including 30 males and 59 females aged from 18 to 60 years old with an average of 36 years old; the time from injury to hospital ranged from 3 to 24 h with an average of 9 h. All patients were divided into two groups according to visiting sequence. There were 45 patients in RICE group, and 45 patients in RCE groups. The main therapeutic effect index was evaluated by Karlsson scoring, and secondary therapeutic effect index was pain and satisfactory VAS scores. Safety index evaluated by adverse event.

RESULTSOn the 2nd weeks after injury, Karlsson score in RICE group was 44.66 ± 11.58, and 46.67 ± 8.52 in RCE group, while there was no statistical significance between two groups in Karlsson scores (P > 0.05). Karlsson score of two groups after treatment were higher than before treatment. There was no significantly meaning in pain and satisfactory VAS scores between two groups (P > 0.05). No adverse reaction were occurred between two groups.

CONCLUSIONCold compress did not receive much more final gains, and no evidence showed cold compress could affect recovery of joint function.