Return to Sport After Lateral Ankle Sprain – Consensus Statement
- Details
- Dr. Shawn Thistle
Lateral ankle sprains are among the most common sports-related injuries, although they are often thought to be relatively minor and quick to heal with minimal intervention. Perhaps owing to this perception, evidence indicates that over 50% of those suffering a lateral ankle sprain do not seek treatment and many return to sport (RTS) prematurely, before their injury has fully healed. One study showed that up to 75% of US high school athletes returned within 3 days of injury and 95% returned within 10 days. This could be too soon for some athletes!
No criterion-based guidelines informing treatment decisions following lateral ankle sprain exist, with a recent systematic review unable to identify any studies providing RTS guidance and a review of expert opinion unable to define consensus on assessments or cut-off thresholds for RTS.
The lack of treatment guidelines is thought to contribute to premature RTS, which itself is thought to precipitate recurrent ankle problems. The goal of the current study was to develop a consensus for assessment items that should inform RTS decisions.
THIS WEEK'S RESEARCH REVIEW: “Return to Sport After Lateral Ankle Sprain – Consensus Statement”
This paper was published in British Journal of Sports Medicine (2021) and this Review is posted in Recent Reviews, Ankle - Foot, Injury Prevention and the 2022 Archive.
