Ankle sprain and proprioception in competition-level association football players

Objective: To determine the association between ankle sprain and proprioception in competitive level soccer players in Lima, Peru in 2023. Material and method: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted involving 42 competitive-level football players from Lima, of both sexes, aged 18 to 29 years. The single-leg stance test was used to assess proprioception, and the presence of ankle sprain was determined through self-reporting of such an injury within the past 12 months. A sociodemographic questionnaire was applied to collect data on covariates, including age, sex, dominant leg, field position, years of experience, training frequency, competitive level, and characteristics of the ankle sprain. For the bivariate analysis, the Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were employed. To estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios, a multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson regression with robust variance estimators and a 95% confidence interval. Results: Of the 42 participants, 50% reported having experienced an ankle sprain. The most frequent playing position was defenders. Proprioceptive deficiency was observed in the left lower limb in 28 players and in the right lower limb in 25. A significant association was found between having suffered an ankle sprain and presenting proprioceptive deficiency in the right ankle, both in the crude and adjusted analyses (cPR = 2.1; aPR = 2.1). Secondarily, it was found that players in the forward position had a threefold higher prevalence of proprioceptive deficiency compared to goalkeepers, in both the right lower limb (aPR = 3.0) and the left lower limb (aPR = 3.1). Conclusions: A significant association was found between ankle sprains and poor proprioception in the right lower limb; no significant association was found in the left lower limb.