title: Epidemiology of U.S. high school sports-related ligamentous ankle injuries, 2005/06-2010/11.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Describe ankle injury epidemiology among US high school athletes in 20 sports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive prospective epidemiology study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sports injury data for the 2005/06 to 2010/11 academic years were collected using an Internet-based injury surveillance system, Reporting Information Online.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide convenience sample of US high schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injuries sustained as a function of sport and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ankle sprain rates and patterns, outcomes, and mechanisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2005/06 to 2010/11, certified athletic trainers reported 5373 ankle sprains in 17,172,376 athlete exposures (AEs), for a rate of 3.13 ankle sprains per 10,000 AEs. Rates were higher for girls than for boys (rate ratio [RR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.34) in gender-comparable sports and higher in competition than practice for boys (RR, 3.42; 95% CI, 3.20-3.66) and girls (RR, 2.71; 95% CI, 2.48-2.95). The anterior talofibular ligament was most commonly injured (involved in 85.3% of sprains). Overall, 49.7% of sprains resulted in loss of participation from 1 to 6 days. Although 0.5% of all ankle sprains required surgery, 6.6% of those involving the deltoid ligament also required surgery. The athletes were wearing ankle braces in 10.6% of all the sprains. The most common injury mechanism was contact with another person (42.4% of all ankle sprains).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ankle sprains are a serious problem in high school sports, with high rates of recurrent injury and loss of participation from sport.
authors: College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Swenson
authors: Christy L
authors: CL
authors: Collins
authors: Sarah K
authors: SK
authors: Fields
authors: R Dawn
authors: RD
authors: Comstock
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology