Ankle Injuries in Basketball

Ankle injuries in basketball are one of the most common injuries in the sport. This is because of how crowded the court can get as well as the amount of jumping that occurs during basketball. Rebounding, shooting, defending, and some passes all involve jumping, which then risks the stability of the ankle and foot. In a study done on NBA players, there were 796 ankle sprains among 389 players and 2341 unique NBA player-seasons reported in the league from 2013-14 through 2016-17. According to the study, ankle sprains affected around 25% of NBA players during that time span, with some players experiencing the injury more than once. Additional evidence listed three risk factors for ankle injuries: previous injury to the ankle, a shoe containing an air bubble on the heel in the shoe, and not stretching before a game or practice. Additional evidence suggest that athletes participating in indoor and court sports like basketball were more likely to have an ankle injury compared to field sports like football or soccer. This review will provide statistics, risk factors, and prevention strategies for ankle injuries in the sport of basketball