The Effectiveness of a Proprioceptive Training Program in Reducing the Incidence of Ankle Sprains in Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic

INTRODUCTION: A variety of sport associations have found that ankle sprains have the highest injury incidence rate as compared to all other injuries.¹ Not only are ankle sprain rates high, but also ankle sprain reinjury rates (70-80%).¹ This alludes to the possibility of an anatomical or biomechanical cause. Regardless of the reason for such high incidence rates, as with any injury, this often results in athletes being limited or fully restricted from activity due to such injuries. Preventing ankle sprains is then of utmost importance for the proper continuation of athletes in a variety of sports. Another important aspect to consider is that ankle sprains, and the costs associated with such injuries, may be financial burdens on lower income families or smaller sport teams; therefore, preventing ankle sprains not only benefits the physical well-being of the athletes, but also decreases the financial burden on lower income families or smaller sport teams. Prevention is also beneficial in the long term since multiple injuries to the same structures can damage those structures permanently, leading to chronic conditions such as chronic ankle instability.² Chronic ankle instability can then hinder an athlete’s ability to participate in physical activity in the future or can lead to disability.²

PURPOSE: To investigate if a proprioceptive training program decreases the incidence of ankle sprains in athletes. 

METHODS: A computer-based search of the literature was completed on November 2020. The search was completed through PubMed Central, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Journal, Journal of Athletic Training, and the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport with the search phrases “proprioceptive training to prevent ankle injuries” and “proprioceptive program prevents ankle injuries.”

RESULTS: Three studies were included in this critically appraised topic. All were published between 2010-2020 and were in the English language. Two of the studies were systematic reviews and one was a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Both systematic reviews reported evidence that a proprioceptive training program can decrease the rate of ankle sprain in athletes.^3,4 The RCT found evidence that a proprioceptive training program decreases the rate of ankle injuries in basketball players and that there is an associated neuromuscular effect.⁵

CONCLUSIONS: A proprioceptive training program is an effective way to decrease the incidence of ankle sprains in athletes. There is a greater reduction in the incidence of ankle sprains in athletes with a past medical history of ankle sprains than in patients with no past medical history of ankle sprains; however, the effects are significant with both populations.^3,4 Future research should focus on standardizing the parameters for a proprioceptive training program.