A lateral ankle sprain during a lateral backward step in badminton: a case report of a televised injury incident

Background: This study presents a kinematic analysis of an acute lateral ankle sprain incurred during a televised badminton match. The kinematics of this injury were compared to those of 19 previously reported cases in the published literature.

Methods: Four camera views of an acute lateral ankle sprain incurred during a televised badminton match were synchronised and rendered in 3-dimensional animation software. A badminton court with known dimensions was built in a virtual environment, and a skeletal model scaled to the injured athlete’s height was used for skeletal matching. The ankle joint angle and angular velocity profiles of this acute injury were compared to the summarised findings from 19 previously reported cases in the published literature.

Results: At foot strike, the ankle joint was 2 degrees everted, 33 degrees plantarflexed, and 18 degrees internally rotated. Maximum inversion of 114 degrees and internal rotation of 69 degrees was achieved at 0.24 and 0.20 seconds after foot strike, respectively. After the foot strike, the ankle joint moved from an initial position of plantarflexion to dorsiflexion – from 33 degrees plantarflexion to 53 degrees dorsiflexion (range = 86 degrees). Maximum inversion, dorsiflexion, and internal rotation velocity were 1262, 961, and 677 degree/s at 0.12 second after foot strike.

Conclusion: A forefoot landing posture with a plantarflexed and internally rotated ankle joint configuration could incite an acute lateral ankle sprain injury in badminton. Prevention of lateral ankle sprains in badminton should focus on the control and stability of the ankle joint angle during forefoot landings, especially when the athletes perform a combined lateral and backward step.