Professor Eamonn Delahunt: Rehabilitation of ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability

Professor Eamonn Delahunt: Rehabilitation of ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability

Ankle sprains are the most commonly incurred lower limb musculoskeletal injury incurred by athletes (across all levels of competition) who participate in sports. As such, all too often, colloquial terms such as a “twisted ankle” or “rolled ankle” are used to describe an acute ankle sprain injury. In reality, there is rarely ever a "simple ankle sprain". Ankle sprains have the highest recurrence rate of all lower limb musculoskeletal injuries. This is further complicated by the high propensity for the development of long-term injury-associated impairments. Athletes who have sustained an acute ankle sprain injury often experience ankle joint instability, regular episodes of “giving way” of their ankle joint, as well as recurrent injury during the months and years after their initial injury; these constitute the characteristic features of chronic ankle instability. Ankle sprain injury and chronic ankle instability can negatively affect an athlete’s ability to participate in sport at his/her desired level and can initiate the development of early onset post-traumatic osteoarthritis. This is particularly concerning as ankle sprain injuries are highly prevalent in adolescents and young adults. 

Why should you take this course

Considering the high prevalence of ankle sprains amongst those participating in field- and court-sports, efforts to prevent ankle sprain injuries and their associated impairments should be a priority amongst the sports physiotherapy community.

What will you learn during the course

This 2-day course will provide a comprehensive evidence-informed overview of diagnosis, clinical assessment, rehabilitation and prevention of ankle sprain injuries. This 2-day course will be an essential update and guide for clinicians working with field- and court-sport athletes. As an update, this 2-day course will present the most up-to-date peer-reviewed literature. As a guide, this 2-day course will outline how physiotherapists can effectively implement evidence-informed strategies as part of their daily practice.