ReApp – a mobile app for the rehabilitation of ankle sprains

Abstract

Musculoskeletal injuries are common and costly. Ankle sprains are one of the most common such injuries, carrying significant risk of persistent disabling symptoms. Rehabilitation has been shown to be more effective than standard conservative approaches for musculoskeletal injuries. The use of a mobile app to present rehabilitation guidance may offer a more accessible, engaging and effective solution to ankle sprain rehabilitation. Many existing apps target the prevention and rehabilitation of ankle sprains, however, evaluation details are limited. This paper presents ReApp, a novel app for the rehabilitation of ankle sprain. Full details of the app implementation are provided, in addition to details of the results from a three phase evaluation process involving technical (n = 5), clinical (n = 6) and end-users (n = 7). Results from the evaluation were positive, and feedback was used to improve the app.