The impact of ankle sprain injury on jumping performance, ankle dorsiflexion, and dynamic balance among adolescents

Egdemir, Nezir

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/19119

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Authors

Egdemir, Nezir

Advisor(s)

Marques, Diogo Luís Sequeira Torgal

Neiva, Henrique Pereira

Abstract(s)

The ankle is one of the most injured joints in children and adolescents. Some reasons are related to their physical growth, including the development of muscle mass, sports movement skills, and hormonal factors. Considering the high rates of ankle sprain injuries among adolescents, it is important to understand how a previous injury can impact their physical performance. This study aimed to i) analyze the impact of ankle sprain injury on jumping performance, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, and dynamic balance among adolescents, and ii) identify the factors associated with ankle sprain injury. Forty-eight adolescents (24 male and 24 female) aged between 11 and 16 were selected based on regularly practicing physical exercise. Participants included those with previous ankle sprain injuries and those without. At the time of the study, all participants were uninjured and healthy. Participants completed an injury-related questionnaire and a double-leg jump-landing test, ankle dorsiflexion test, and Y-balance test. The results showed that twenty-three participants reported previous ankle sprain injury, while twenty-five had no previous recordings of ankle injuries. Ankle-injured participants were older than the non-ankle-injured participants (p < 0.01, effect size = 0.73) and presented higher ground contact times (p = 0.03, effect size = 0.56) and lower stiffness (p = 0.04, effect size = 0.52) in the double-leg jump-landing test. Finally, a higher chronological age increased the odds of ankle sprain injury 1.89 times in adolescents. This study showed that age significantly predicted ankle sprain injury among adolescents. Furthermore, even after recovery from ankle-sprain injury, changes in jumping and landing biomechanics were observed, with longer jumping times and lower joint stiffness being observed in the ankle-injured participants.