Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Predictor of Return to Play Following Syndesmosis (High) Ankle Sprains in Professional Football Players

Background:Syndesmosis ankle sprains cause greater disability and longer duration of recovery than lateral ankle sprains.Objective:To describe the severity of syndesmosis sprains using several accepted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria and to assess the interrater reliability of diagnosing syndesmosis injury using these same criteria in professional American football players.Hypothesis:There is a high degree of interrater reliability of MRI findings in American football players with syndesmosis ankle sprains. These radiographic findings will correlate with time lost to injury, indicating severity of the sprain.Study Design:Uncontrolled retrospective review.Methods:Player demographics and time lost to play were recorded among professional football players who had sustained a syndesmosis ankle sprain and underwent standardized ankle MRI. Each image was independently read by 3 blinded musculoskeletal radiologists.Results:Seventeen players met study criteria. There was almost perfect agreement among t...