Foot and Ankle Injections in Athletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Injections are frequently used by healthcare providers for treating athletic foot and ankle injuries.
• Questions persist regarding the safety and efficacy of these common injection therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current literature on the efficacy and safety of various injections used for foot and ankle injuries in athletes.
• To synthesize findings on common injection types and their clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• An extensive literature review was conducted using MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost up to 2021.
• Keywords included "injections," "athletes," "sports," "foot and ankle," "corticosteroids," "platelet-rich plasma," and "placental tissue."
• Included English-language articles such as reviews, case series, empirical studies, and basic science articles.

Main Results:

• Commonly used injections include corticosteroids, platelet-rich plasma/autologous blood, anesthetic, and placental tissue.
• Primary indications in athletes involve plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinosis, syndesmotic injury, and ankle impingement.
• Clinical results associated with these injections have been variable.

Conclusions:

• While some limited studies suggest promising outcomes, the overall data on the safety and efficacy of injections for athletic foot and ankle injuries is inconclusive.
• Further research is needed to establish definitive conclusions.