Ankle Sprain - Twisted Ankle 
Ankle injuries - Inversion Ankle Sprain

Ankle sprain, twisted ankles and ankle injuries are one of the more common ligament injuries that occur in soccer.

The most common type of ankle injury is the "Anterior Talo-Fibular Ligament sprain or ATFL sprain for short.

It is named after the structures involved. "Talo refers to the talus bone which is dome shaped and lies directly underneath both shin bones (tibia and fibula).

Fibular refers to the fibula which is the smaller of the 2 shin bones. located on the outside or lateral aspect of the shin.

Anterior refers to the location as there is a posterior talo-fibular ligament.
 


Generally 85% of ankle injuries occur to this ligament as the result of the foot turning in with out the ability to turn back out.

This is known as an inversion ankle sprain.

There may be several predisposing factors leading or contributing to a twisted ankle:

- shortened or tight calf muscle

-shortened or tight lateral hamstring muscle

-muscle imbalances at the hip

-poor training and conditioning

-poor skill or technique

-poor warm up

 


Here are a few things you can do to prevent ankle injuries:

- participate in a preseason training program

- do agility drills (ladders) as part of your practice

- increase flexibility of the hamstrings and calf muscles balance the muscles around the hip

 -check the field surface that you are going to play on before training and games.

-wear the proper equipment

-find a massage therapist to work the muscles of the lower body.

-do jumping drills by landing on foot or do single leg hops

Soccer cletes have little to no protection for ankle stability. It important that when you train you get in as much ball work as possible on different types of surfaces.

There is a difference between turf and grass. Newly built turf fields have a little bit more give when you plant your feet on them compared to a grass field.