Ankle Injuries, Imaging and Prevention Program Effectiveness in New Army Recruits

Purpose: To evaluate ankle injuries in new infantry recruits, including their characteristics, association with imaging and functional measures, and the effectiveness of a preventive exercise program.

Methods: 650 new male infantry soldiers aged 18-23 will be recruited to participate in the study at the beginning of their military training. At the beginning and the end of the training (after approximately six months), the soldiers will be assessed for the following: 1. Demographics (height, weight, leg length, BMI calculation), 2. Proprioception ability (Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus AMEDA), 3. Dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test YBT), 4. Leg muscle strength (bilateral heel rise test), 5. Hip strength (hand-held dynamometer), 6. Ankle agility (hexagon agility hop test), 7. Ankle stability (Anterior Drawer Test, musculoskeletal ultrasound for the Anterior Talofibular Ligament), 8. Achilles tendon structure (Ultrasound tissue Characterization UTC), 9. Aerobic ability (3000 meters run, will be recorded by the fitness instructors at the training base). In addition, the soldiers will fill out a previous ankle sprains questionnaire, pre-induction physical activity questionnaire, the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) for ankle perceived instability, and the Ankle Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (ankle-FABQ).

The soldiers will perform a constructed ankle sprain prevention program for five minutes every day during the six-month length of the study. Every 1-2 weeks, the researcher will arrive at the training base to monitor ankle injuries. Those who are diagnosed with a sprain will undergo ultrasound evaluations, which will be performed every few weeks.