Role of ankle dorsiflexion in sports performance and injury risk: A narrative review
Haifa Saleh Almansoof 1 , Shibili Nuhmani 1 * , Qassim Muaidi 1
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1 Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, SAUDI ARABIA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The objective of this literature review is to understand the role of ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in sports performance and the risk of injuries. The ankle harmonizes the interaction between the body and the supporting surface through adjusting to the supporting surface and handling forces to contribute effectually to different functional activities. Ankle dorsiflexion is an essential construct in many sport-specific skills. Ankle dorsiflexion is associated with activation of brain areas involved in movement preparation, sensory integration, motor planning/execution, balance, and visuomotor coordination. Ankle dorsiflexion was associated with enhanced activation of deep core and quadriceps muscles. Decreased ankle dorsiflexion is linked to compensations and altered kinetics and kinematics that can potentially affect sports performance and increase the chances of sustaining injuries. It is vindicated to consider more focus on ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in research studies, sports-related pre-season screening, clinical examination, injury rehabilitation, and return-to-sports judgment.

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Review Article

ELECTRON J GEN MED, 2023, Volume 20, Issue 5, Article No: em521

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/13412

Publication date: 01 Sep 2023

Online publication date: 19 Jun 2023

Article Views: 1231

Article Downloads: 2819

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