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Long term outcomes of inversion ankle injuries
A Anandacoomarasamy1, L Barnsley
1Department of Rheumatology, Concord Hospital, Hospital Road, Concord, NSW 2139, Australia.
British Journal of Sports Medicine
|February 25, 2005
Summary
Most athletes experience persistent symptoms for years after an inversion ankle sprain, highlighting the need for effective prevention and early treatment strategies. This study found that over 70% of patients had ongoing issues at follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Rehabilitation
Background:
- Ankle sprains are common sports injuries, often presumed to be minor and self-resolving.
- However, a significant number of individuals experience prolonged symptoms lasting months to years post-injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of long-term symptoms in patients with sports-related inversion ankle sprains treated at an Australian sports medicine clinic.
- To assess the impact of these injuries on quality of life.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 19 patients with inversion ankle sprains was recruited from a sports medicine clinic.
- A matched control group of 19 patients with upper limb injuries was included for comparison.
- Structured telephone interviews and SF-36 questionnaires were used to assess symptoms and health status at an average follow-up of 29 months.
Main Results:
- Only 26% of ankle-injured patients reported full recovery; 74% had persistent symptoms like pain, swelling, or instability.
- The control group reported no such symptoms (p<0.0001).
- Ankle sprain patients showed a significantly lower score on the general health subscale of the SF-36 compared to controls (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- A majority of patients referred to a sports medicine clinic for inversion ankle sprains experience persistent symptoms for at least two years.
- This underscores the critical importance of injury prevention and prompt, effective treatment for inversion ankle sprains.
