SynthesisBritish medical bulletin2022
Doctor, I fractured my ankle. When can I return to play? An updated systematic review.
Synthesis in British medical bulletin, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Early weight-bearing after ankle fracture surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of functional outcomes and safety.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Pooled it
- Comparison of operatively and nonoperatively treated isolated Weber B ankle fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2024Pooled it
- Better outcomes using suture button compared to screw fixation in talofibular syndesmotic injuries of the ankle: a level I evidence-based meta-analysis.Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery · 2024Pooled it
- Third-generation cryotherapy reduces time to surgery and local complications in patients with ankle fractures: a prospective randomised controlled trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Trial
- The minimally invasive approach for lateral malleolus fractures plating demonstrating less pain, shorter operative time and earlier discharge compared to open approach: a prospective randomized controlled trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Trial
- Fear of reinjury is associated with failure to return to preinjury level of activity after operative repair of ankle fractures.OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma · 2026Article
- Return to Sports in Recreational Athletes After Complex Elbow Dislocation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- High rates of return-to-play and No deterioration in performance following ankle fractures in National Hockey League players.Journal of orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Does syndesmotic fixation technique impact complication rates and functional outcomes measured by PROMIS scores following operative repair of ankle fractures?Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- Readmission within 30-days of open reduction and internal fixation for ankle fractures: NSQIP analysis of 29,905 patients.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2024Article
- Clinical, functional and radiological outcome after osteosynthesis of ankle fractures using a specific provocation test.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2024Article
- Small interfering RNAs in the management of human osteoporosis.British medical bulletin · 2023Review
- Analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of posterior malleolus fracture in adults.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2023Article
- Musculoskeletal Injury in American Football: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Most Cited Articles.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionAnkle fractures in sport are common. Their optimal management is unclear, as is when patients can return to their sports activities. This systematic review provides a contemporary assessment of the literature on return to sports following acute traumatic ankle fractures managed both operatively and non-operatively. SOURCES OF DATA: We systematically searched Pubmed, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and CINAHL using the terms 'ankle fractures', 'ankle injuries', 'athletes', 'sports', 'return to sport', 'return to activity', 'operative management', 'non-operative management'. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Thirteen retrospective studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the studies was generally poor. The proportion of patients returning to sporting activity was high. In some studies, a quicker return to sporting activity was demonstrated in patients managed non-operatively. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: The time to return to sporting activity and level of performance post-treatment are not universally recorded, and the optimal time to return to sport remains to be confirmed. GROWING POINTS: Conservative management for stable or undisplaced fracture may result in a higher proportion of patients returning to sport more quickly. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: Randomized controlled trials should compare conservative to surgical treatment for appropriately chosen fracture patterns. Future studies should routinely report the timing of return to sport, the level of performance reached, and the time to achieve this.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.