Rehabilitation of a lateral ankle reconstruction in a male professional football player – A narrative case report

OBJECTIVES: Lateral ankle sprains involving the ATFL and CFL are common injuries in football with a high recurrence rate. There is a lack of research to guide post-operative rehabilitation of football players following lateral ligament ankle reconstructive surgery. This narrative case report discusses the management of a lateral ligament reconstruction in a male professional football player. METHODS: A 25-year-old professional footballer underwent a lateral ankle reconstruction following recurrent lateral ankle sprains leading to an unstable ankle. RESULTS: Following 11-weeks of rehabilitation the player was cleared to return to full-contact training. The player competed in his first competitive match 13-weeks post-injury and completed a 6-month full-training block, without episodes of pain or instability. CONCLUSION: This case report illustrates the rehabilitation process of a football player following a lateral ankle ligament reconstruction within a timeframe expected in elite sport.