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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Factors that increase your risk of a sprained ankle include:

  • Sports participation. Ankle sprains are a common sports injury. Sports that require rolling or twisting your foot, such as basketball, tennis, football, soccer and trail running, can make you vulnerable to spraining your ankle, particularly if you're overweight. Playing sports on an uneven surface also can increase your risk.
  • Prior ankle injury. Once you've sprained your ankle, or had another type of ankle injury, you're more likely to sprain it again.
References
  1. Maughan KL. Ankle sprain. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 21, 2009.
  2. Sprained ankle. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00150. Accessed May 21, 2009.
  3. Krabak BJ, et al. Ankle sprain. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/138719924-7/0/1678/78.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50077-8--cesec5_1238. Accessed May 21, 2009.
  4. McKeon PO, et al. Interventions for the prevention of first time and recurrent ankle sprains. 2008;27:371.
  5. Ho K, et al. Ankle and foot. Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/138922549-4/0/1365/150.html?tocnode=51892075&fromURL=150.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50060-3--cesec7_2538. Accessed May 22, 2009.
  6. Bone X-ray (radiography). Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=bonerad. Accessed May 22, 2009.
  7. General nuclear medicine. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=gennuclear. Accessed May 22, 2009.
  8. CT: Body. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=bodyct. Accessed May 22, 2009.
  9. MRI of the musculoskeletal system. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=muscmr. Accessed May 22, 2009.

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Aug. 26, 2009

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