The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football: an analysis of ankle sprains

Abstract

Aim: To conduct a detailed analysis of ankle sprains sustained in English professional football over two competitive seasons. Methods: Club medical staff at 91 professional football clubs annotated player injuries. A specific injury audit questionnaire was used together with a weekly form that documented each club's current injury status. Results: Completed injury records for the two competitive seasons were obtained from 87% and 76% of the participating clubs. Ankle ligament sprains accounted for 11% of the total injuries over the two seasons, with over three quarters (77%) of sprains involving the lateral ligament complex. A total of 12 138 days and 2033 matches were missed because of ankle sprains. More sprains were caused by contact mechanisms than non-contact mechanisms (59% v 39%) except in goalkeepers who sustained more non-contact sprains (21% v 79%, p<0.01). Ankle sprains were most often observed during tackles (54%). More ankle sprains were sustained in matches than in training (66% v 33%), with nearly half (48%) observed during the last third of each half of matches. A total of 44% of sprains occurred during the first three months of the season. A high number of players (32%) who sustained ankle sprains were wearing some form of external support. The recurrence rate for ankle sprains was 9% (see methodology for definition of reinjury). Conclusion: Ankle ligament sprains are common in football usually involving the lateral ligament complex. The high rate of occurrence and recurrence indicates that prevention is of paramount importance.

Injury Rate in Professional Soccer Players within the Community of Madrid: A Comparative, Epidemiological Cohort Study among the First, Second and Second B Divisions

“…More injuries took place in the second part of matches, confirming findings by prior studies [10,11,16,23,27,36,41] and may be due to the physical and psychical tiredness that the soccer player accumulates during the match, which makes the player more vulnerable to suffer injuries.…”

“…Within the joint injuries, the ankle sprains affecting the lateral collateral ligament were the most frequent. In the literature reviewed we have found a number of studies that identify joint injuries as the second most frequent after muscle injuries [4,5,16,22,27,46,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. Thus, we can affirm that joint injuries are the second most frequent after muscle injuries.…”

“…Muscle injuries were most frequent in our study, representing over half of the total injuries recorded. The literature reviewed confirmed the higher incidence of muscle injuries, as the most frequent injuries in soccer [5,10,16,22,23,25,27,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41].…”

The effect of repetitive ankle perturbations on muscle reaction time and muscle activity

“…It is reported that 77-83% of all ankle sprains are focal to the lateral ligament complex (Hawkins et al, 2001;Price et al, 2004;Woods et al, 2003), with excessive loading during inversion and plantar flexion the most common mechanism of injury (Ferran & Maffulli, 2006;Kaminski et al, 2013). When the foot is forced into a compromised position, the mechanoreceptors in the ankle ligaments and joint capsule sense the extreme or sudden movements and initiate a dynamic restraint (Hertel, 2002;Konradsen et al, 1997;Hertel, 2000;Jackson et al, 2009;Michelson & Hutchins, 1995).…”

A fadiga influencia a resposta dos músculos eversores após a simulação de uma entorse do tornozelo?

“…As lesões do complexo tornozelo-pé ocorrem frequentemente durante a prática esportiva, muitas vezes nas fases finais de um treino ou competição 1,2 . Neste contexto, a fadiga muscular figura como um fator predisponente a lesão, pois em função da sua ocorrência há a redução da capacidade de gerar força 3,4 .…”