Ankle and Lower Leg Injuries Quiz

Ankle and Lower Leg Injuries: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Treatment with Positional Release Therapy

• Ankle and lower leg injuries are common, with ankle sprains being the most frequent.
• Ankle sprains are more common in young people, with the highest incidence in males aged 15-24 years old.
• Ankle sprains occur most frequently during athletic activity, with basketball players having the highest incidence.
• Girls are more likely than boys to sustain ankle sprains in gender-comparable sports.
• Recurrent ankle sprains are common and the most significant factor for future ankle sprains is a previous history of sprain.
• Ankle sprains may lead to chronic ankle instability and osteoarthritis.
• Positional Release Therapy (PRT) may be applied as soon as possible to ankle sprains to avoid the onset of somatic dysfunction.
• A single session of PRT in the emergency department for an acute ankle sprain may significantly reduce pain, swelling, and improve range of motion.
• Joint mobilization combined with exercise may be more helpful than exercise alone for ankle sprain recovery.
• Cumulative trauma to the ankle and lower leg may result in chronic inflammatory conditions such as Achilles tendinopathy and medial tibial stress syndrome.
• Lower-limb injury rates for military recruits are approximately 20-50%, with the most frequent injury being lower-limb stress fractures.
• Early preventive measures, such as reducing training errors and improving hip abductor strength and proprioception, could help curb the incidence of ankle and lower leg injuries.