When to return to play after an ankle sprain.

An ankle sprain may not seem like a big deal, but returning to play without proper rehabilitation will increase your chances of injuring your ankle again-maybe even more seriously. Taking the time to fully recover will actually put you back in the game faster. The checklist on the other side of this page will take the guesswork out of knowing when you are ready to return to play safely.

Acute ankle sprains: keys to diagnosis and return to play.

The diagnosis and treatment of acute ankle injuries present challenges to both primary care physicians and orthopedic specialists. Determining the position of the ankle when the injury occurred may help distinguish sprains from fractures so that unnecessary x-rays can be avoided. Stepwise rehabilitation restores function and diminishes the risk of reinjury.

Lower extremity injuries in youth sports.

The lower extremity is the most commonly injured anatomic area in sports. An appropriate history and physical examination is sufficient to diagnose most injuries. By knowing the position where a joint has the greatest and least bony stability, one can predict the likelihood of bony and ligament injury.