The impact of decreased tibial torsion angle on ankle sprain in football
Ahmet Bayrak
Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Selçuk University, Konya, Türkiye
Keywords: Sports injuries, football, lateral ankle sprains, tibial torsion angle
Abstract
Objective: Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports-related injuries. Among them, lateral ankle sprains (LAS) predominantly occur as inversion-type injuries. As a result of LAS, athletes are required to stay away from training/competitions for a certain period, which leads to a decline in their athletic performance. While the injury mechanisms for inversion-type injuries have been elucidated, it is imperative to investigate anatomical risk factors associated with these injuries.
Material and Methods: This study aimed to examine the influence of tibial torsion angle (TTA) in lateral ankle sprains. In the study, the TTA of 67 male football players was recorded during pre-season evaluations. Among these players, 23 experienced LAS, while 44 did not.
Results: A statistically significant difference in TTA was observed between players who suffered LAS during the season and those who did not (p<0.05). The findings indicate that individuals with lower TTA are more likely to experience LAS. In addition, a cutoff value analysis revealed that football players with right TTA<11° and left TTA<10° are at an increased risk of injury.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the tibial torsion angle should be included as a risk factor in pre-season assessments for lateral ankle sprains, and athletes with low TTA should be integrated into injury prevention programs targeting LAS.
Cite this article as: Bayrak A. The impact of decreased tibial torsion angle on ankle sprain in football. Turk J Sports Med. 2024;59(3):94-8; https://doi.org/10.47447/tjsm.0823
The approval for this study was obtained from Selçuk University, Faculty of Health Sciences Ethics Committee for Non-Interventional Clinical Investigations, Ankara, Turkey (Decision no:2021/09, Date: 25/05/2021).
The tasks of Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Formal Analysis, and Writing - Original Draft were all carried out by the corresponding author, Ahmet Bayrak.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to authorship and/or publication of the article.
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or publication of this article.
