Return to sport: Ankle Rehabilitation

Return to play: After knee injury

July 23, 2018

Return to sport: Ankle Joint Injury

March 10, 2020

Ankle rehabilitation: Return to sport principles

Consult your professional/s for treatment and rehabilitation as these are academic principle guidelines only and not prescriptive.
ASSIC does not dispense medical and/or exercise advice.
Consult your professional regarding exercise, treatment and rehabilitation exercise regimes and medical advise.
The contents of the following web page are principle guidelines and must be utilized under the supervision of a relevant medical and/or exercise professional.

Ankle Injury

Ankle injury mechanism:

Ankle inversion or eversion movement ±rotational component

Acute management

Treatment

Rest
Ice
Compression
Splint or brace where appropriate
Elevation
Surgery where indicated
Rehabilitation

Surgery: where appropriately indicated
Non-operative: immobilization with brace/cast

Return to sport & match readiness after appropriate rehabilitation

After appropriate rehabilitation
Assess return to sport after completing battery of testing

Ankle testing for return to sport

Range of motion (ROM)

ROM	Test
Active ROM= non-injured side or =/> standard sports specific norms	Measure goniometer

Foot/ankle ROM

Proprioception

Proprioception	Test
Static & dynamic	Stalk stand test (30s) Dynamic Five Dot-drill test

Proprioception exercise

Circumference difference

Limb difference	Test
Analyze limb diameter difference Accept :<5% difference	Calf circumference Ankle circumference

Calf concentric & eccentric strength

Agility

Agility

Test

•Compare to pre-injury levels

•Assess execution of test

Ilionois Agility Drill- compare time difference

Intrinsic foot strengthening

Muscular strength & endurance

Strength

Test

Dynamic muscle strength & endurance field test

Single leg standing toe raise:

Strength 1RM with good form & 1:2 ratio for concentric & eccentric control
Endurance-Pollock muscle endurance test at 70% of 1RM for 20-25s

Posterior tibialis strength:

One leg to raise. Forward hip swing preceding toe raise is an indication of poor posterior tibialis strength

Calf raise exercise

Speed

	Test
Speed	40 m sprint

Explosive power

	Test
Accurate analysis with comparative muscle strength analysis	Vertical jump Standing broad jump

Vertical jump testing

Isokinetic test

Isokinetic	Test
Accurate analysis with comparative muscle strength analysis	Plantar flexion & Dorsiflexion Inversion & eversion 60-120 degrees

Calf strengthening exercises with foot in internal & external rotation

Ankle strapping

Full Strapping technique

In ASSIC strength app

Return to play: After knee injury

Return to sport: Ankle Joint Injury