QUESTION: Does 4 weeks of serial night casting followed by 4 weeks of stretching of the gastrocnemius and soleus improve ankle dorsiflexion range and other outcomes compared with no intervention in children and young adults with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease? DESIGN: Randomised trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS: 30 children and young adults with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and restricted ankle dorsiflexion range. INTERVENTION: The experimental group received 4 weeks of serial night casting followed by 4 weeks of weightbearing stretches. The control group received no intervention. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was ankle dorsiflexion range; secondary outcomes included foot deformity, mobility, balance, falls, and self-reported activity limitations. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 4, and 8 weeks. RESULTS: By 4 weeks, serial night casting had increased ankle dorsiflexion range by a mean of 4 deg (95% CI 2 to 6) more in the experimental group than the control group. After a further 4 weeks of weightbearing stretches, the experimental group still had a mean of 3 deg (95% CI 0 to 5) more ankle dorsiflexion range than the control group. Other than reduced time to walk 10 metres at self-selected pace favouring night casting at 4 weeks, outcomes did not differ between groups at any time point. Two minor adverse events were reported in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: 4 weeks of serial night casting increased ankle dorsiflexion range compared with no intervention, but at 8 weeks there was no significant difference between groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12605000011684.

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