Ankle sprain epidemiology

NewsBot · Jun 28, 2025

“Letter to the Editor: Talus Position Correlates With Dorsiflexion Range of Motion Following a Lateral Ankle Sprain: A Cross‐Sectional Study”

NewsBot · Jun 30, 2025

Why ultrasound is the missing piece of the puzzle in the imaging and management pathway of acute ankle injuries
Fnu Jeevika et al
Clinical Imaging 26 June 2025, 110554

Highlights
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Acute ankle sprains often lead to long-term dysfunction and instability.
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Ultrasound remains underutilised in acute ankle imaging despite proven accuracy.
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Low-cost, non-ionising ultrasound detects findings missed on X-ray.
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Detection of these findings enables tailored rehab and treatment plans.
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Wider ultrasound use can cut imaging delays improving outcomes.
Abstract
This review explores the utility of diagnostic ultrasound in acute ankle injuries, a prevalent condition affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 people daily in Western countries. Up to 70 % of patients with such injuries may develop chronic ankle instability, leading to persistent dysfunction, reduced quality of life, and increased healthcare burden. Diagnostic errors, particularly missed fractures or complex soft tissue injuries, contribute significantly to patient dissatisfaction and are a common cause of medico-legal claims.
Limited access to advanced imaging modalities like CT or MRI, especially in resource limited settings, hampers early and accurate diagnosis. In this context, ultrasound presents a compelling alternative. It is inexpensive, non-invasive, non-ionising, portable, and widely accessible. With appropriate training, ultrasound can reliably detect clinically significant and occult injuries.
When used alongside clinical examination, ultrasound may reduce unnecessary Xrays, especially in Ottawa-positive but radiograph-negative patients. It shows high accuracy in identifying ligament, tendon, and nerve injuries and offers the added benefit of dynamic, real-time, and multi-planar assessment.
Despite these advantages, ultrasound remains underutilised in clinical practice for acute ankle injuries. Broader adoption could improve diagnostic accuracy, tailor treatment strategies, reduce imaging delays, and enhance patient outcomes. This review highlights the need for integrating ultrasound more effectively into the imaging pathways for ankle trauma.
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NewsBot · Jul 10, 2025

Prevalence and Association of Risk Factors for Ankle Sprain among High School Sports Students
Amirah Zafar et al
Source

Background: Acute ankle sprains cause short-term problems, recurrence, and functional instability. Risk factors include uneven surfaces, previous sprains, weak ankles, high-heeled shoes, and lack of warm-up. Comprehending the risk factors can help improve the prevention and intervention strategies for ankle sprains. Objective: To find the prevalence and association of risk factors for ankle sprain in high school sports. Methodology: It was an analytical cross-sectional study. A convenient sampling technique was used to collect the data, which was collected from DHA Senior School and Garrison Academy Lahore. It was completed within 4 months after the approval of the synopsis. The study includes 216 high school sports students aged 13-18 years. Both gender male and female students are included in the study; sports students participated at the school level and district level, and students engaged in football, basketball, and cricket actively for above 6 months. The exclusion criteria include those higher. Secondary school students who have not actively participated in sports in the last 3 months, Sports students with a recent history of fracture/ trauma to the lower limb excluded from the study and students with congenital deformities in the lower limb. The ethical approval was taken from the ethical review committee of CMH Lahore Medical College and the Institute of Dentistry. Informed consent was taken from the individuals. Results: Table 1 presents the demographics of all participants, with the majority being 16 years old and enrolled in studies. The majority of the participants were male students. Figure 1 represents the percentage of ankle sprains in the past and present. 47.7% of respondents showed positive ankle sprains in the past, whereas at present, close to 27% include positive findings. According to this figure, 29.17 students had previously undergone physical therapy for ankle sprains. Conclusion: The prevalence of ankle sprains among high school students is 26.9%. The risk factors contributing greatly to ankle sprains among high school athletes were uneven surfaces and improperly fitted shoes, therefore highlighting the importance of implementing preventive measures and being mindful of the associated risk factors to prevent future injuries and recurrences.
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NewsBot · Jul 17, 2025

Clinical impairments associated with ankle disability in patients with acute lateral ankle sprain
Young-Hyun Lee et al
Front Public Health. 2025 Jul 2:13:1617269.

Background: Acute lateral ankle sprains (ALAS) are common musculoskeletal injuries among physically active individuals. While various impairments occur following ALAS, limited information is available on the factors contributing to ankle disability. This study aimed to investigate the association between the clinical impairments and ankle disability in patients with ALAS.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional design with 55 ALAS patients within two weeks of injury. Clinical impairments, including inflammatory symptoms (e.g., pain and swelling), restricted total ankle motion, joint laxity (e.g., anterior drawer test; ADT, inversion talar tilt test; ITT), and functional limitation were analyzed for their association with ankle disability assessed by the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Sports (S) subscales.

Results: Multiple regression analysis revealed significant models that explained approximately 70% of the variance in FAAM subscales. The results indicated that swelling (β = -0.620 for FAAM-ADL, p < 0.01, β = -0.765 for FAAM-S, p < 0.01) and pain (β = -0.347 for FAAM-ADL, p < 0.01, β = -0.470 for FAAM-S, p < 0.01) were the most significant contributors to ankle disability in both subscales. Joint laxity measured by the ITT (β = -0.199, p < 0.05) negatively affected sports-related disability while restricted total ankle motion (β = 0.307, p < 0.05) had a positive effect. However, functional limitation was not significant in both subscales.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the clinical impairments associated with ALAS, which contribute to ankle disability. Our results suggest that these impairments may be relevant considerations when designing early rehabilitation strategies (e.g., swelling reduction, pain control, and joint stability) for individuals with ALAS.
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NewsBot · Jul 20, 2025

Risk Factors of Ankle Sprain in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Amir Human Hoveidaei et al
Sports 2025, 13(4), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13040105

Background: Soccer is associated with substantial injury risk, with reported between 13 to 35 injuries per 1000 player-hours of competitive play. Notably, approximately 77% of soccer-related ankle injuries are attributed to ankle sprain injuries (ASIs). ASI can lead to chronic ankle instability, obesity, and post-traumatic osteoarthritis. This study focuses on identifying factors such as gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and a history of ASIs, which contribute to the development of ASI in soccer players. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in October 2023 across databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest, without applying any filters. Keywords included ankle, ankle joint, sprain, risk factors, etc. Data extraction was performed on the included studies, with findings standardized and analyzed using Stata Statistical Software: Release 17 to determine a weighted treatment effect. Results: Our systematic review included 26 studies. The meta-analysis revealed that a history of ankle sprain is the most significant risk factor for future ASIs. BMI emerged as a risk factor in three out of seven studies, while age and height were significant in one out of six studies each. Gender and weight were not found to significantly affect ASI occurrence. Other factors identified but not subjected to a meta-analysis due to methodological heterogeneity or insufficient studies included playing surface, joint laxity, muscle weakness, match congestion, strength asymmetries, ground reaction forces, balance maintenance, skill level, and playing position. Conclusions: This research contributes valuable insights into the prevention of ASIs in soccer, highlighting the importance of previous ankle sprains and playing surface quality. These findings assist sports professionals in developing optimal conditions and strategies for effective ankle sprain prevention.
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NewsBot · Sep 9, 2025

Systematic video analysis of ankle sprain injuries in elite male football (soccer): Injury mechanisms, situational patterns, biomechanics and neurocognitive errors study: A study on 140 consecutive players
Matthew Buckthorpe et al
Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2025 Sep 9.

Purpose: To describe the mechanisms, situational patterns, biomechanics and neurocognitive errors related ankle sprain injuries of professional male football players during match play.

Methods: There were 166 consecutive ankle sprain injuries identified occurring during official matches in players of top European football leagues. One hundred and forty (84%) injury videos were analysed for mechanism and situational pattern, with biomechanics on 20 players. Neurocognitive errors were investigated for all noncontact injuries. Three independent reviewers evaluated each video. Ankle sprain injury epidemiology-month, timing within the match and pitch location at the time of injury and time-loss according to sprain type was also documented.

Results: More injuries occurred in offensive (n = 89, 64%) than defensive (n = 51, 36%) situations (p < 0.001). Seventy (50%) direct contact, 42 (30%) indirect contact and 28 (20%) noncontact injuries were categorised. There were 67 (48%) inversion, 30 (21%) high ankle, 25 (17%) eversion, 6 with combination of high ankle and eversion (4%) and 12 (9%) unsure injuries. Four main situational patterns were described: (i) being tackled (n = 59, 42%); (ii) tackling/pressing (n = 34, 24%); (iii) landing from a jump (n = 16, 11%) and (iv) sliding (n = 7, 5%). Inversion injuries were associated with internal rotation, while high ankle injuries typically involved toe contact with the ground, slight plantar flexion and foot eversion. A neurocognitive error was documented 59% of noncontact injuries. A similar number of injuries occurred during the 1st (n = 71, 51%) and 2nd (n = 69, 49%) half (p > 0.05).

Discussion: Half of ankle sprain injuries occurred after direct contact, 3 in 10 after indirect contact and only 2 in 10 without contact. Injury prevention practices should consider mechanical perturbation, playing situation and neurocognitive factors when designing programmes.
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NewsBot · Oct 1, 2025

Impact of systematic ultrasonography on lateral ankle sprain management
Aubin Arcade et al
Foot and Ankle Surgery 11 September 2025

Highlights

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Routine ultrasonography within 3 weeks of lateral ankle sprain altered initial treatment in 31.4 % of ankles.
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Routine ultrasonography detected deltoid ligament lesions in 31.3 % and AITFL lesions in 11.8 % of ankles.
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Ultrasonography demonstrated a sensitivity of 73 % and a specificity of 95 % for identifying osseous lesions.

Abstract
Background
Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is the most common traumatic injury, yet its diagnosis and management remain suboptimal. This contributes to a high prevalence of residual symptoms, negatively impacting patient quality of life and increasing healthcare costs. We hypothesized that routine ultrasonography (US) following LAS could significantly modify the treatment strategy established by a specialist. Additionally, we hypothesized that US is an efficient tool for identifying osseous injuries and associated ligamentous injuries.
Methods
Fifty-one ankles with lateral instability diagnosed in the emergency department (ED) were retrospectively included. A second evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon was conducted within the first ten days to establish the “initial treatment”. All patients underwent US and MRI within the first three weeks after the initial ED assessment and were reevaluated to establish the “post-US treatment”. We determined concordance between initial and post-US treatment. Additionally, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of US for identifying osseous and associated ligament injuries, including the anteroinferior talofibular ligament (AITFL), deltoid ligament, spring ligament, calcaneocuboid ligament (CCL), dorsal talonavicular ligament (DTNL), and bifurcate ligament, MRI serving as the reference standard for assessing ligamentous and osseous injuries.
Results
Treatment for LAS was modified for 16 ankles (31.3 %) following US examination (W=97, p < 0.05). US demonstrated excellent sensitivity (0.73) and specificity (0.95) for identifying osseous injuries. Additionally, US detected injuries to the AITFL in 6 ankles (11.8 %), deltoid ligament in 16 (31.3 %), spring ligament in 1 (2 %), CCL in 1 (2 %), DTNL in 1 (2 %), and bifurcate ligament in 2 (3.9 %).
Conclusion
US examination following LAS was significantly associated with treatment modifications. It also proved high accuracy for detecting osseous injuries missed by plain X-rays and diagnosing associated ligament injuries. Given these findings, it appears relevant to update the current diagnostic algorithm for LAS, including US.
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NewsBot · Jan 9, 2026

Identifying factors associated with proprioceptive impairment in individuals after lateral ankle sprain: a cross-sectional study
Takahiro Watanabe et al
Phys Ther Sport. 2025 Dec 28:78:101885.

Objective: To investigate the validity of a stretch strain sensor-based circumduction reproduction test and identify factors associated with foot-ankle proprioceptive dysfunction in individuals with a history of lateral ankle sprain.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: University laboratory.

Participants: Seven copers and 18 patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

Main outcome measure: The circumduction reproduction test measured absolute error between eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions as an indicator of proprioception during ankle circumduction. Absolute errors in the sensor, shank-rearfoot and rearfoot-midfoot relative angles were measured using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. An independent t-test was used to compare errors between groups. Pearson's correlations were calculated to identify factors contributing to absolute errors, including foot joint variables, anterior displacement, subtalar joint excursion, and weight-bearing lunge test.

Results: The CAI group showed significantly greater sensor error (p = 0.025). The sensor errors significantly correlated with shank-rearfoot (r = 0.698) and rearfoot-midfoot (r = 0.760) errors. The sensor error was significantly associated with subtalar joint excursion (r = 0.667) and weight-bearing lunge test (r = -0.528).

Conclusions: The circumduction reproduction test using the stretch strain sensor enables accurate evaluation of proprioceptive impairments, with absolute errors associated with subtalar joint excursion and weight-bearing lunge test.
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NewsBot · May 13, 2026

Higher BMI might increase risk of ankle-foot sprains: A mendelian randomization study
Xicheng Gu et al
Sports Med Health Sci. 2025 Jan 21;8(3):302-310.

Purpose: Although previous research has suggested that a greater body mass index (BMI) may be linked to a higher incidence of ankle-foot sprains, the causal relationship between BMI and these injuries has not been established. This study aims to determine the causal effect of BMI-related features on ankle-foot sprains using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods: Exposure single-nucleotide polymorphisms were collected from Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT Consortium) for BMI, hip circumference (HIP), hip circumference adjusted for BMI (HIPadjBMI), waist circumference (WC), waist circumference adjusted for BMI (WCadjBMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI), encompassing a study population of more than 200 000 individuals. Furthermore, exposure statistics were gathered from MEC-IEU for body fat percentage (BFP), involving a study population of 454 633 individuals. Additionally, outcome statistics for ankle sprains were identified from FinnGen based on hospital discharge records (9 141 cases and 290 508 healthy controls). Random-effect, inverse-variance weighted MR was used as the primary method.

Results: BMI (β = 0.173, p = 0.035), BFP (β = 0.341, p = 9.08 × 10-6), hip circumference (β = 0.265, p = 0.001), and WC (β = 0.193, p = 0.045) were found to have positive causal relationships with higher risk of ankle-foot sprains, whereas HIPadjBMI, WCadjBMI, WHR, and WHRadjBMI were found to have no such effect. Additionally, no reverse causal effect was found between ankle-foot sprains and BMI or BFP.

Conclusions: A genetic predisposition to higher BMI-related features can lead to a higher risk of ankle-foot sprains, providing new insight into how to prevent ankle-foot sprains in middle-aged and elderly people.
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NewsBot · May 19, 2026

Disability and Functionality Measures in Patients With Acute Ankle Sprain: A Scoping Review
Andressa Pereira de Souza et al
J Chiropr Med. 2025;24(1-4):372-379.

Objective: The purpose of this review was to identify how disability and functionality were measured in patients with acute ankle sprain and present according to the International Classification of Function, Disability, and Health (ICF).

Methods: We conducted a scoping review of randomized controlled trials including participants with acute ankle sprain. We conducted the searches in 4 databases to identify the studies. The searchers considered the inception of databases up to February 2024, without language restrictions. The process of evidence selection and data extraction was conducted independently. The summarization of evidence was presented according to the ICF.

Results: We included 49 randomized controlled trials. The most common way disability and functionality were assessed in the included studies was through patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) 35 (71.4%), and the most used PROM was the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS). Most of the tools used to measure disability and functionality fall under the participation domain of the International Classification of Functioning, followed by activity.

Conclusion: Disability and functionality in randomized controlled trials of acute ankle sprain is usually assessed through PROMs. The most comprehensive item of the ICF was participation, followed by activity
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Ankle sprain epidemiology

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Maladaptive Neuroplasticity in Corticospinal Tract after Ankle Sprain

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Return to sport after ankle sprain

Do children get ankle sprains?

Spraino shoes for ankle spains

Fear Avoidance Beliefs and a History of Ankle Sprain

SPRAINED tool for ankle sprains

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Ankle sprain epidemiology

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Maladaptive Neuroplasticity in Corticospinal Tract after Ankle Sprain

Foot Drop Secondary to Ankle Sprain in Paediatric Patients

Return to sport after ankle sprain

Do children get ankle sprains?

Spraino shoes for ankle spains

Fear Avoidance Beliefs and a History of Ankle Sprain

SPRAINED tool for ankle sprains

Share This Page

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