Context: Deltoid ligament sprains among collegiate student-athletes have not been extensively investigated. Research regarding the mechanisms, participation-restriction time, and recurrence of deltoid ligament sprains in collegiate student-athletes is lacking.
Objective: To describe the epidemiology of deltoid ligament sprains in 25 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship sports.
Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.
Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program.
Main outcome measure(s): We analyzed deltoid ligament sprains recorded in the Injury Surveillance Program for the 2009-2010 through 2014-2015 academic years. Deltoid ligament sprain injury rates, rate ratios, and injury proportion ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported.
Results: During the study period, 380 deltoid ligament sprains were reported, resulting in a combined injury rate of 0.79/10 000 athlete-exposures (AEs; 95% CI = 0.71, 0.87). Most deltoid ligament sprains occurred in practices (54.2%, n = 206). However, the competition injury rate was higher than the practice injury rate (rate ratio = 3.74; 95% CI = 3.06, 4.57). The highest deltoid ligament sprain rates were in women's gymnastics (2.30/10 000 AEs; 95% CI = 1.05, 3.55), men's soccer (1.73/10 000 AEs; 95% CI = 1.14, 2.32), women's soccer (1.61/10 000 AEs; 95% CI = 1.13, 2.09), and men's football (1.40/10 000 AEs; 95% CI = 1.18, 1.62). Nearly half of all deltoid ligament sprains (49.7%, n = 189) were due to player contact, and 39.5% (n = 150) were non-time-loss injuries (ie, participation restricted for less than 24 hours). Only 8.2% (n = 31) of deltoid ligament sprains were recurrent.
Conclusions: The highest deltoid ligament sprain rates were in women's gymnastics, men's and women's soccer, and men's football. However, the rate for women's gymnastics was imprecise (ie, the CI was wide), highlighting the need for further surveillance of deltoid ligament sprains in the sport. Most deltoid ligament sprains were due to player contact. Future researchers should assess interventions that may prevent deltoid ligament sprains.
Keywords: collegiate athletes; eversion sprains; medial ankle sprains.