Introduction: Ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries affecting not only athletes but also amateurs. In 80 to 90% of cases, it is a lateral sprain in which the lateral ligaments of the ankle are injured. Conservative treatment focuses on reducing swelling and pain, increasing range of motion, and improving stability of the joint. One of the conservative treatment techniques is Instrument - Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM). Purpose: Based on a literature review, we aimed to analyse the effects of IASTM on dorsiflexion of the talocrural joint in healthy subjects and in subjects with ankle sprain compared to other treatment approaches. Methods: The literature was searched in PubMed, PEDro and Medline databases between 2010 and 2021. Results: Six studies were used for the analysis. The results showed that the range of motion of dorsiflexion was increased in healthy subjects and in subjects with ankle sprain after IASTM. Static stretching of the triceps surae muscle and dynamic balance training also contributed to the increase in range of motion. Compressive myofascial release was found to be more efficient than IASTM after one therapy session in healthy subjects. Discussion and Conclusion: IASTM found to be effective in increasing the range of motion of dorsiflexion in the talocrural joint. The authors of the analysed studies reported short- and long-term effects of the treatment. Further studies with a larger number of participants are recommended to determine the effect of IASTM on increasing the range of motion in dorsiflexion in healthy subjects and in subjects with ankle sprains.
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