Skip to main content
AAPM&R 2025 Main banner
JFK
Final Program


Official Program
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
On Demand
On Demand
In-Person
In-Person
Livestream
Livestream
Invite Only
Invite Only
Ticketed
Ticketed
Coffee Break
Coffee Break
Meal
Meal
Reception
Reception
Rate ePoster

Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine

Increased Risk of Ipsilateral and Contralateral ACL Tears Within 1 and 2 Years Following Ankle Sprains in Obese Patients

Thursday, October 23, 2025
12:45 PM - 2:15 PM MT
Location: Original Research Theater
Disclosure(s):
Ennis Ibrahim, Other: No financial relationships to disclose
Background and/or Objectives: Many studies have demonstrated that hamstring injuries can predispose patients to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears by altering lower extremity biomechanics. Ankle sprains may also disrupt gait and movement patterns, potentially increasing stress on other ligaments of the lower extremity. There have been limited studies that investigate whether a similar association exists between ankle sprains and subsequent ACL injuries. Therefore, our study evaluates whether obese patients have an increased risk of ACL tears within 1 and 2 years following an ankle sprain.

Design: Retrospective Cohort Study

Setting : TriNetX Research Network

Participants : We identified obese patients aged 18–65 and divided them into two groups: those with right ankle sprains (n=35,347) and those without (n=5,874,021). Patients with confounding injuries (e.g., fractures of the femur, lower leg, or hip; prior knee ligament sprains; or knee dislocations) were excluded. The groups were then 1:1 propensity score-matched for demographics and comorbidities, resulting in 35,346 patients per cohort.

Interventions: N/A

Main Outcome Measures: We assessed the 1-year and 2-year risk of right ACL tear (ipsilateral) and left ACL tear (contralateral) since the first instance of their right ankle sprain. Risk ratios (RR) were used for statistical analysis, with statistical significance set at p< 0.05.

Results: Obese patients following a right ankle sprain had a significantly increased 1-year risk for ipsilateral (RR=3.504, p< 0.001) and contralateral (RR=2.503, p=0.011) ACL tears, and increased 2-year risk for ipsilateral (RR=4.605, p< 0.001), and contralateral (RR=3.905, p< 0.001) ACL tears compared to the control group.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrated an increased risk of ipsilateral and contralateral ACL tears 1 and 2 years after an ankle sprain in obese individuals. These findings highlight the compounded injury risk in this population and suggests that these patients may benefit from increased education and more tailored rehabilitation to reduce the risk of subsequent injuries.