ReviewJournal of experimental orthopaedics2025
Return to sport in athletes after surgical ankle fractures: A systematic review.
Review in Journal of experimental orthopaedics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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.
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- 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 sport in athletes after surgical ankle fractures: A systematic review.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Review
- Minimally Invasive Fixation of a Distal Fibula Fracture With an Intramedullary Nail.Video journal of sports medicineArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: Ankle fractures represent a significant health concern for athletes, comprising 15%-25% of all sports-related injuries. With increasing sports participation across all age groups, the public health impact of these injuries is expected to grow. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is a common approach to managing ankle fractures, particularly for athletes requiring rapid return to sports. However current information on the return to sports post-injury is largely anecdotal. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using keywords related to ankle fractures and sports return. Databases searched included Medline (PubMED), Cochrane and Google Scholar up to 12 April 2024. Articles published in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian were considered. A total of 17 studies involving 1422 patients were analysed. Inclusion criteria covered randomised controlled trials and case series of over 10 patients focused on athletes with closed ankle fractures. Studies on paediatric fractures, soft tissue injuries, and non-sports-related fractures were excluded. Results: The review analysed various types of ankle fractures, with an average patient age of 31.4 years. ORIF was the predominant treatment (89.4%), and the average return-to-sport rate was 87.1%. Time to return varied, with an average of 134.5 days. Recovery time was longer for more severe fractures, such as bimalleolar and trimalleolar fractures, which showed times of up to 720 days. Functional outcomes improved with early rehabilitation, and the average Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) for sports was 85.6 after 12 months. Conclusion: Returning to sports after an ankle fracture is a critical concern for athletes. This systematic review provides valuable insights into the prognosis and timeline for resuming sports activities. By synthesising current evidence, it offers guidance for clinicians and athletes on managing recovery and optimising return to sports. Standardised, high-quality studies are needed to provide clearer guidelines. Level of Evidence: Level III. For Clinical Trials: PROSPERO registration number 594839.
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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.