July 1, 2011 The position of the foot just before ground contact
during running and walking may put people at risk for ankle
sprains, according to a new study published by a University of
Georgia kinesiology researcher. The results of the study, which
appear in the June online edition of the American Journal of
Sports Medicine, found that people who have a history of
repetitive ankle sprains demonstrated lower clearance heights
between their feet and the floor during running and pointed
their toes down more during walking. Ankle sprains are the most
common sports-related injury, and many who experience a sprain
will go on to develop chronic instability, suffering repeated
sprains during their lifetime. "Almost everyone who is
physically active will suffer an ankle sprain at some point,"
said the study's lead author, Cathleen Brown Crowell, an
assistant professor in the UGA College of Education's department
of kinesiology. "Many people develop repetitive ankle injuries
that are painful, can decrease performanc