OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of 4 weeks of 30 minutes of daily stretching on ankle mobility in patients with recent spinal cord injuries (SCIs). DESIGN: Assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Two spinal injury units in Sydney, Australia. PATIENTS: Consecutive sample of 14 recently injured patients with paraplegia and quadriplegia. INTERVENTION: Treated ankles were stretched continuously into dorsiflexion with a torque of 7.5Nm for 30 minutes each weekday for 4 weeks. Contralateral ankles received no stretches. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Passive torque-angle curves for both ankles were obtained at study commencement, than at weeks 2, 4, and 5 (ie, during, at the end of, and 1 week after the stretching program). Torque-angle measurements were obtained with the knee extended and flexed. Mean values for parameters (baseline angle, angle at 10Nm, slope) describing the characteristics of the torque-angle curves derived each knee position. Changes from pretest to each subsequent test were calculated, as well as 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for differences in these changes between stretched and controlled ankles. RESULTS: The stretching intervention did not significantly change any of the 3 parameters describing the torque-angle curves of the ankle in either knee position. At the beginning of the study, the mean (+/- SD) angles obtained with the application of a standardized torque with the knee extended for the control and stretch ankles were 105 degrees (+/- 10.4 degrees) and 106 degrees (+/- 9.8 degrees) respectively. After weeks, these values were 106 degrees (+/- 10.6 degrees) and 107 degrees (+/- 10.6 degrees) (mean difference in change of angle 0 degrees; 95% CI -3.3 to 3.3 degrees). CONCLUSION: Thirty minutes of daily stretching for 4 weeks does not significantly change ankle mobility in recently injured patients with SCIs.

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