LANDING WITH A SUPINATED ANKLE JOINT COULD INCITE AN INVERSION SPRAIN INJURY

Abstract

Ankle sprain injury mechanism has been recently analysed quantitatively. This study further investigated if a supinated ankle joint at landing is an aetiology of the injury. One inversion ankle sprain case from a previous study was selected, and the video sequences of two similar play movements performed by the same athlete without injury were collected and analysed by a model-based image-matching motion analysis method. The ankle joint orientations at the moment of landing in these three cases were compared. Results showed that the ankle joint was in a supination orientation with a combined 14 degrees inversion and 16 degrees plantarflexion at landing, while it was neutral in the inversion/eversion plane and dorsiflexed to 10-21 degrees in the non-injury cases. The supination ankle joint at landing was suggested to be the inciting event of the injury.