Assessment of Ankle Instability A Literature Review

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Ankle sprains are the most common injuries in sports and recreational activity ²¹, accounting for 25% of all sport related injuries ⁵. This amounts to approximately 25,000 ankle sprains per day in the USA alone ²³. Treatment regimes for these injuries are well established and yet a 50% incidence of recurrent instability is reported ⁵. This instability can be divided into two distinct types -mechanical and functional.

Mechanical instability can be defined as a deficiency of the stabilising structures around the joint, e.g. the capsulo-ligamentous structures, which allows joint movement beyond normal physiological limits5. This can be at the talocrural joint or, less commonly, at the subtalar joint 10. Functional instability is less well understood but was suggested by Freeman in 1965 to describe ankles which suffer from recurrent sprains or a tendency to ‘give way’4.

Key Words:

• ankle strains
• ligaments
• instability