Although not the most common injury seen in soccer players, the rate of ankle syndesmosis injuries continues to increase each year. In this episode, we take a look at how we might be able to differentiate between stable and unstable ankle syndesmosis injuries and determine who may or may not need surgery.

Articles:

1. Lubberts B, D'Hooghe P, Bengtsson H, DiGiovanni CW, Calder J, Ekstrand J. Epidemiology and return to play following isolated syndesmotic injuries of the ankle: a prospective cohort study of 3677 male professional footballers in the UEFA Elite Club Injury Study. Br J Sports Med. 2019;53(15):959-964.
2. Lubberts B, van Dijk PAD, Donovan N, van Dijk CN, Calder JD. Stable and unstable grade II syndesmotic injuries require different treatment strategies and vary in functional outcomes: a systematic review. Journal of ISAKOS: Joint Disorders & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 2016;1(4):192-197. doi:10.1136/jisakos-2015-000026
3. Calder JD, Bamford R, Petrie A, McCollum GA. Stable Versus Unstable Grade II High Ankle Sprains: A Prospective Study Predicting the Need for Surgical Stabilization and Time to Return to Sports. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery. 2016;32(4):634-642. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2015.10.003