Examination of functional ankle instability in soccer players: a prospective study

Gülşah Ünver¹*, Hikmet Kocaman², Hüseyin Eroğlu³

1. Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Osmaniye, Turkey
2. Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Karaman, Turkey
3. Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sport, Kahramanmaras, Turkey

*Corresponding Author: Gülşah Ünver; E-mail:gulsahunver@osmaniye.edu.tr

Abstract
Aim
The foot area is one of the most active body parts in soccer branch. There may be various loads on the foot in soccer players and ankle instability may be occur. The present study aimed to evaluate functional ankle instability in soccer players and examine it in terms of some variables.
Methods
A total of 175 male soccer players were included in the present study. The ankle instability of soccer players was evaluated with the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability (IdFAI) scale.
Results
It was determined that 35.4% of the soccer players had functional ankle instability in their right foot, 29.7% in their left foot, and 46.3% on at least one side. The average IdFAI total score of the all players was 9.39±6.18 for the right side and 8.20±5.55 for the left side. When the soccer players were evaluated regarding the position they played, it was determined that the mean of the IdFAI total score for both feet was higher in the midfielders.
Conclusions
It is thought that the results of the study may contribute to the determination of risk factors for the foot part and shed light on the development of prevention strategies for injuries in soccer players.

Key words: Sports, Soccer, Foot, Ankle, Instability