A Randomized Controlled Trial of Piroxicam in the Management of Acute Ankle Sprain in Australian Regular Army Recruits

Abstract

Three hundred sixty-four Australian Regular Army re cruits with acute ankle sprains sustained during train ing were randomized to treatment with either piroxicam or placebo. Compared with the placebo group, sub jects treated with piroxicam had less pain, were able to resume training more rapidly, were treated at lower cost, and were found to have increased exercise en durance on resumption of activity. Nausea was the only side effect reported significantly more often in the treatment group than in the placebo group (6.8% ver sus 0.3%). Interestingly, subjects treated with piroxi cam showed some evidence of local abnormalities such as instability and reduced range of movement. We conclude that nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents should form an integral part of the treatment of acute ankle sprains.