The incidence of recurrent soft tissue ankle injuries.

A prospective study was carried out to assess the incidence of recurrent soft tissue injuries to the ankle joint. Out of 310 patients with acute ankle injuries seen in the accident and emergency department at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, 101 (32.5%) had injuries which were severe enough to necessitate review in the follow-up clinic. Twenty-seven of these patients (26.7%) had sustained one or more previous injuries to the same ankle within the past 24 months. This rather high incidence of recurrence highlights the need to evaluate our current diagnostic and treatment policies in dealing with this common injury.