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DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1785660
Ankle Sprains in Brazilian Professional Soccer: Epidemiological Analysis of 126,357 Match Hours[*]
Article in several languages: português | English
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to perform an epidemiological analysis of ankle sprains in professional soccer players in Brazil.
Methods This prospective epidemiological study analyzed ankle sprains in professional male soccer athletes during the Brazilian Championship and the Paulista Football Championship from 2016 to 2019. All on-pitch medical care provided in official matches was recorded. The variables evaluated included the age and position of the player, injury diagnosis, pitch site where the injury occurred, playing time, imaging tests performed, surgical treatment, time away from competitions, and injury recurrence. We assessed the incidence of injuries according to the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) incidence formula.
Results Ankle sprains represented 10.17% of total injuries, with a FIFA index equal to 2,002. Lateral ligament injuries represented 53.75% of all sprains. The forwards were the most injured athletes, with 86 lesions. The midfield had the highest number of sprains (75.50%). Almost half (47.04%) of sprains occurred in the final 15 minutes of each half-time. Injuries recurred in 31.22% of cases, and 7.11% of injuries underwent surgical treatment. The average time away from competitions was 13.95 days.
Conclusions Ankle sprains are common injuries in soccer. Although the average time to return to sport is brief, these injuries have a high recurrence rate and are potentially surgical, leading to a longer time off competitions.
Authors' Contribution
All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. EBSL and PHSL prepared the material preparation, collected data, and performed the analysis. GGA and MC coordinated the research. EBSL, GMS, and EPM wrote the first version of the manuscript. All authors participated in writing the final manuscript and approved it for submission.
Financial Support
The authors declare that they did not receive any financial support from public, commercial, or not-for-profit sources.
Work carried out at the Sports Traumatology Center, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Publication History
Received: 30 March 2023
Accepted: 25 September 2023
Article published online:
13 May 2024
© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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