A study to evaluate the effectiveness of 'Air-Stirrup' splints as a means of reducing the frequency of ankle haemarthroses in children with haemophilia A and B.

With the introduction of readily available factor VIII and IX concentrates and programmes for home therapy and prophylaxis, most severe haemophilic arthropathies can be prevented. However, despite these programmes, bleeds into the ankle joints still occur during the years of growth. It is suggested that ankle haemarthroses may be caused by unrecognized inversion injuries by the patient. The history from a small child is not always accurate and when a child presents with a swollen ankle it is not uncommon for the medical team to make a diagnosis of haemarthrosis without really searching for the pathogenesis. This paper describes a clinical study using the 'Air-Stirrup'; (AS) ankle splint which is designed to restrict inversion. Children between the ages of 3 and 18 years with a history of recurrent ankle haemorrhages were entered into a 6-month trial. Results showed a positive reduction in the number of ankle haemorrhages experienced by the children.