Overuse ankle injuries in professional Irish dancers

Abstract

Background: Overuse ankle injuries have been described in elite athletes and professional ballet dancers however the spectrum of injuries experienced by professional Irish dancers has not been defined.

Methods: A troupe of actively performing dancers from an Irish-dance show were recruited (eight male, ten female; mean age, 26 years). The prevalence of overuse injuries in the right ankle was determined from magnetic resonance imaging. Foot and ankle self-report questionnaires were also completed (AOFAS and FAOS).

Results: Only three ankles were considered radiologically normal. Achilles tendinopathy, usually insertional, was the most frequent observation (n=14) followed by plantar fasciitis (n=7), bone oedema (n=2) and calcaneocuboid joint degeneration (n=2). There were limited correlations between MRI patterns and clinical scores indicating that many conditions are sub-clinical. Dancers with ankle pain had poor low (p=0.004) and high (p=0.013) level function.

Conclusions: Overuse ankle injuries are common in Irish dancers. Incorporating eccentric exercises and plantar fascia stretching into a regular training program may benefit this population.