John Orchard is a sports physician and sports injury researcher based in Sydney, Australia. He is a Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales and a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Dr Orchard is Medical Director for the Sydney Roosters Rugby League Football Club. He is Injury Survey Co-ordinator for … Read more
Background Plyometric drills decrease the reaction time of the nervous system in response to external stimuli. This allows the muscles to contract faster to prevent falling or twisting an ankle. The technique was first used during the 1960s and ’70s by eastern European athletes, who organised hopping and jumping techniques into specific plyometric drills. As … Read more
What is it? Ankle arthroscopy refers to the technique used by orthopaedic surgeons whereby they insert a very small (2mm diameter) camera into the ankle joint. It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, commonly known as keyhole surgery, and allows the surgeon to look directly inside the ankle joint to determine exactly what is wrong. … Read more
What is a High Ankle Sprain? A sprained ankle is one of the most common injuries caused by participation in sports. It refers to soft tissue damage (mainly ligaments ) around the ankle joint. A high ankle sprain refers to ligament damage at the joint between the shin bone (tibia) and splint bone (fibula). This … Read more
The ankle and foot complex is made up of 22 bones, which form 33 joints. The foot and ankle is designed to be strong and agile enough to quickly adapt to changes in the ground surface. The foot and ankle is designed to enable equal distribution of body weight through the foot whilst maintaining balance. … Read more
A Broken Ankle Explained A broken ankle is a common injury – there are over 250,000 each year in the United States alone. A broken ankle may occur as a result of direct contact, such as a road traffic accident or a sports opponent, but broken ankles are usually the result of a fall where … Read more
What is Snowboarder’s Ankle? Snowboarder’s Ankle is the common term for a fracture of the lateral process of the talus bone, which is located on the outerside of the ankle, above the heel bone. A fracture of the lateral process of the talus bone is rare in the general population. It accounts for less than … Read more
A Sprained Ankle Injury Explained A sprained ankle is one of the most common injuries caused by participation in sports. It refers to soft tissue damage (mainly ligaments) around the ankle, usually caused by an inversion injury (where the ankle is twisted inwards) or an eversion injury (where the ankle is twisted outwards). Because of … Read more
What is a High Ankle Sprain? A sprained ankle is one of the most common injuries caused by participation in sports. It refers to soft tissue damage (mainly ligaments ) around the ankle joint. A high ankle sprain refers to ligament damage at the joint between the shin bone (tibia) and splint bone (fibula). This … Read more
What is Os Trigonum Syndrome? Os Trigonum Syndrome refers to pain in the back of the ankle that is caused by impingement of soft tissues on a bony prominence at the back of the talus bone. This prominence is present in 1 in 20 of the population but, in professional footballers, it is reported to … Read more