• Karen G Roos, Zachary Y Kerr, Timothy C Mauntel, Aristarque Djoko, Thomas P Dompier, and Erik A Wikstrom.
• Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
• Am J Sports Med. 2017 Jan 1; 45 (1): 201-209.

BackgroundAnkle sprains are a common injury in collegiate sports. Few studies have examined the epidemiology of individual ligament injuries, specifically the lateral ligament complex (LLC) of the ankle.PurposeTo describe the epidemiology, including the estimated yearly national incidence, of LLC sprains among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes.Study DesignDescriptive epidemiology study.MethodsInjury surveillance data for 25 sports from the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) for the academic years 2009-2010 to 2014-2015 were used for analysis. All injuries included for analysis had a diagnosis of an LLC sprain. LLC sprain rates and rate ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs were calculated. From the sample, national estimates of the annual incidence of LLC sprains across the entire student-athlete body from these 25 sports were also calculated.ResultsDuring the 2009-2010 to 2014-2015 academic years, 2429 LLC sprains were reported, for a rate of 4.95 per 10,000 athlete-exposures (AEs). LLC sprains comprised 7.3% of all reported collegiate sports injuries in the NCAA-ISP. Also, an estimated 16,022 LLC sprains occurred annually among the 25 sports. The sports with the highest LLC sprain rates were men's basketball (11.96/10,000 AEs) and women's basketball (9.50/10,000 AEs). Most LLC sprains occurred during practices (57.3%); however, the LLC sprain rate was higher in competitions than in practices (RR, 3.29; 95% CI, 3.03-3.56). Also, 11.9% of LLC sprains were identified as recurrent injuries, with the largest proportions of recurrent LLC sprains being found within women's basketball (21.1%), women's outdoor track (21.1%), women's field hockey (20.0%), and men's basketball (19.1%). In 44.4% of LLC sprains, the athlete returned to play in less than 24 hours; in 3.6%, the athlete required more than 21 days before returning to play (including those who did not return to play at all).ConclusionLLC sprains were the most commonly reported injury diagnosis among United States collegiate student-athletes. Continued examination of interventions that aim to reduce the incidence, severity, and recurrence of LLC sprains, specifically in women, is warranted.

26 keywords...

hide…