Lateral Ankle Sprain, Chronic Ankle Instability and Ankle Osteoarthritis: Unraveling Mechanisms and Exploring Management Approaches

Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries, particularly in physically active individuals and athletes, with an incidence rate of approximately 1.94 per 1,000 individuals among young adults. While often perceived as minor injuries, the consequences of LAS can be long-lasting and severe. Following an initial LAS, about 40% of individuals would ultimately develop chronic ankle instability (CAI), characterized by recurring episodes of the ankle "giving way," persistent instability, and recurrent ankle sprains. Even worse, up to 78% of individuals with CAI may further progress to ankle post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), leading to chronic pain, functional limitations, work loss, and a diminished quality of life. Thus, unraveling the mechanisms and exploring effective management approaches for LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA is of paramount importance.

Individuals with LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA often suffer from a wide range of impairments, including pathomechanical deficits (e.g., ligament laxity, decreased range of motion, cartilage degradation), sensorimotor deficits (e.g., reduced proprioception and strength, poor postural control, altered biomechanics), and psychosocial factors (e.g., decreased self-efficacy, fear of movement). These impairments interact and compound, not only compromising sports performance but also affecting daily living activities, leading to decreased health-related quality of life. Obviously, understanding the pathological progression through LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA, and their contributing factors is crucial for developing comprehensive approaches that enhance recovery outcomes, reduce injury and re-injury risk, prevent disease progression, and improve overall function and quality of life.

Despite the robust literature surrounding the impairments and disabilities associated with ankle sprains, significant gaps remain. Therefore, there is an obvious need for a platform where we can continue advancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, explore innovative injury prevention strategies, and establish effective clinical management paradigms that mitigate long-term consequences for ankle sprain-related medical problems.

This Research Topic aims to collect cutting-edge research on LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA, focusing on their injury mechanisms and prevention and rehabilitation strategies. The goal is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, sports medicine clinicians, physiotherapists, athletic trainers, and sports psychologists to enhance our understanding and management of LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA. Ultimately, translating research findings into practical interventions that improve patient outcomes, reduce recurrence rates of ankle sprains, prevent the development and progression of ankle osteoarthritis, and support sustained engagement in sports and active lifestyles.

We invite researchers and clinicians to submit original research articles, systematic reviews (with or without meta-analyses), brief research reports, case studies, commentaries, opinions, and hypotheses or theoretical papers that explore various aspects of LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA. Submissions may cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:

1. Epidemiology and Population Studies: Exploration of the prevalence, incidence, and economic burden of LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA across different age groups, genders, and activity levels.
2. Injury Mechanisms and Risk Factors: Investigations into the pathomechanical, sensorimotor, and psychosocial mechanisms, and their interactions that lead to LAS, the development of CAI, and progression to ankle PTOA.
3. Disease Subdivision and Precision Management: Classification and staging of LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA based on patient characteristics, imaging findings, and biomarker profiles to tailor personalized clinical management approaches.
4. Diagnostic and Assessment Techniques: Methodological development and validation of new diagnostic methods for early detection of LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA, as well as their associated risk factors.
5. Injury Prevention Strategies: Research on strategies to reduce the initial incidence of LAS and prevent progression to CAI and osteoarthritis.
6. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Interventions: Development and evaluation of protocols aimed at restoring function, preventing recurrence, and slowing osteoarthritis progression after the initial LAS.
7. Clinical Practice Opinions, Consensus or Guideline: Establishment of criteria to define full recovery or safe return to daily life, work, or sport after LAS, CAI, and ankle PTOA.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Lateral Ankle Sprain, Chronic Ankle Instability, Osteoarthritis, Mechanism, Prevention, Rehabilitation, Management, Assessment, Intervention

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.