Comparison of Anatomical Intrinsic Risk factors between Athletes with and without Previous History of Ankle Sprain

Ankle is the most commonly injured area in sport, which accounts for 25% of all sports injuries. The relationship between injury occurrences in this joint with the anatomical alignment of the lower extremity is unclear. So, the purpose of the present study was to compare anatomical intrinsic risk factors between athletes with and without a previous history of ankle sprain. In the current cross-sectional study, 25 male athletes with previous history of ankle sprain and 25 healthy athletes were randomly selected and participated in the study voluntarily. Foot arch index, navicular drop, tibia vara, knee hyperextension, and tibia torsion were measured in samples. A comparison between the two groups was made using independent t-test for normally distributed variables, whereas the Mann–Whitney's U-test was used for non-normal distributed variables at a significance level of 0.05. Analysis of data using independent t-test and Mann–Whitney U test showed that there were significant differences in foot arch index (P=0.040) and tibia vara (P=0.0001) measures between the two groups. While there were no significant differences in navicular drop, knee hyperextension, and tibia torsion measures between the two groups. According to findings, it is possible that lower limb malalignments can be contributed in ankle injuries incidence as intrinsic risk factors. Therefore, port injuries prevention and rehabilitation professionals are recommended to consider leg and ankle malalignments in preventing and managing the risk factors of lateral ankle sprain.