Medical data suggests that ankle sprains are the most common single injury in high school sports, accounting for roughly one in six of all high school sports-related injuries.
The data was collected through the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System, which revealed that sprained ankles accounted for 16 percent of all sports-related injuries across 20 different high school sports. For the injury to be considered serious enough to be counted in the survey, it needed to require attention from a certified athletic trainer or team doctor, and restrict an athlete’s participation for 1 or more days.
“The large number of ankle sprains demonstrates the need for targeted injury-prevention measures,” said study lead author David M. Swenson, MD, MPH, of the College of Medicine and College of Public Health at Ohio State University.
Ankle Injuries and Sports
The study uncovered a number of different findings about ankle injuries and other injuries during high school sports. Here are some of the findings:
- Most ankle sprains healed rather quickly, as 50 percent of the time the athlete did not miss more than one week of sport participation.
- Overall, the rate of ankle injuries across the 20 high school sports was 3.13 ankle injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures (practices or competitions).
- Sports with the highest rates of ankle injuries were boys’ basketball (5.16 per 10,000 AEs), girls’ basketball (5.03) and girls’ gymnastics (4.88).
- Girls were more likely to suffer ankle sprains than boys in soccer, softball/baseball, and track and field.
- Ankle sprains were more common during competition than in practice for both sexes.
- The anterior talofibular ligament was involved in 85.3 percent of sprains, the most of any ankle ligament.
- The most common outcome for ankle sprains was time lost from athletic activity for 1 to 6 days (49.7%) and 7 to 21 days (40.8%).
- Only 0.5 percent of ankle sprains were treated surgically.
- The most common risk factors associated ankle sprains during athletic activity include prior ankle injury and wearing an ankle brace.
- The most common reason for suffering an ankle sprain during athletic activity was contact with another person (42.4%), contact with the playing surface (26.7%) and non-contact injuries (25.5%).
Researchers concluded their study by preaching a message we like to share on this blog, saying that athletes need to take care of an initial sprain when they first occur to prevent recurrent ankle sprains.
“[The findings] underscored the need for adequate rehabilitation and postinjury protection to speed the healing process and minimize risks of reinjury.” said Swenson. “All students who sustain an ankle sprain should be encouraged to participate in postinjury physical therapy or other training programs such as balance boards, which have been shown to have beneficial effects in reducing ankle sprain risk.”