Observational studyBMJ open2020
Ankle osteoarthritis and its association with severe ankle injuries, ankle surgeries and health-related quality of life in recently retired professional male football and rugby players: a cross-sectional observational study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Characteristics of Training Injuries Among Chinese Competitive Rugby Sevens Players: A Retrospective Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Injury and local injection and the risk of foot/ankle osteoarthritis: a case-control study in retired UK male professional footballers.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Rugby Injury Imaging.Seminars in musculoskeletal radiology · 2025Review
- Prevalence and impact of chronic ankle instability in female sport: a cross-sectional study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Lower limb clinical osteoarthritis and its association with joint pain and function, and severe injuries and surgeries, in women professional football players: a cross-sectional observational study.South African journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- Imaging of osteoarthritis from the ankle through the midfoot.Skeletal radiology · 2023Review
- Determination of the Prevalence of Knee and Hip Clinical Osteoarthritis in the Active Professional Male Footballer and Its Association with Pain, Function, Injury and Surgery.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Beyond the medals: a cross-sectional study exploring retired elite female athletes' health.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2023Article
- Health conditions among retired elite rugby players: a scoping review.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2023Article
- Management of Elderly Traumatic Ankle Arthritis with Ilizarov External Fixation.Orthopaedic surgery · 2022Article
- International Foot and Ankle Osteoarthritis Consortium review and research agenda for diagnosis, epidemiology, burden, outcome assessment and treatment.Osteoarthritis and cartilage · 2022Review
- Epidemiology of osteoarthritis.Osteoarthritis and cartilage · 2022Review
- Health conditions among retired professional footballers: a scoping review.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2022Article
- Quantitative evaluation of ankle cartilage in asymptomatic adolescent football players after season by T2-mapping magnetic resonance imaging.Biomedical engineering online · 2021Article
- Article
- Clinical Hip Osteoarthritis in Current and Former Professional Footballers and Its Effect on Hip Function and Quality of Life.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2021Article
- No time to waste: necessary health support for retired professional rugby players.South African journal of sports medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo determine (1) the prevalence of ankle osteoarthritis (OA) among former professional football and rugby players, (2) assess the association between ankle injuries or ankle surgeries with ankle OA, and (3) compare the mental and physical quality of life (QoL) between former professional football and rugby players with and without OA.
methodsWe conducted a questionnaire-based observational study with a cross-sectional design. Former professional football and rugby players were recruited by the Football Players Worldwide and the International Rugby Players. Information concerning ankle OA, sustained ankle injuries and ankle surgeries was gathered (medical record or most recent medical professional). Health-related QoL was assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical and mental health scores.
resultsOverall, 553 former professional football (n=401) and rugby (n=152) players were enrolled in the study (response rate of 56%). Ankle OA prevalence among former professional football and rugby players was 9.2% and 4.6%, respectively. Football players were more likely to suffer from ankle OA following every ankle injury and/or surgery. Football and rugby players with ankle OA had similar PROMIS physical and mental health scores to the norm for the general population.
conclusionFormer professional football and rugby players had higher ankle OA prevalence than the general population (3.4%). Football players are more likely to suffer from ankle OA following every ankle injury and/or surgery. No clinically relevant difference was seen for physical or mental health-related QoL among football and rugby players. Preventive measures for ankle injuries are recommended.
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