Imaging study of ankle injury in professional soccer player of males

Abstract

To analyze the imaging abnormal findings of ankle injuries in professional soccer player of males. The thirty-two professional soccer players in local region soccer club had been selected as research objects from March 2014 to January 2015, and all were men. Average age was 22.03±3.0 years old (19-33 years); the average age was 8.6±2.0 years old that began to engage in professional football training, and average time of engaged in football sports was 13±4 years (7-27 years). X-ray examination was used VM DR (Philips Co.), anteroposterior and lateral position of ankle joints. CT scan was used MSCT of 64 rows detector (Aquilion 64, TOSHIBA Co.). After routine scan, raw data was transmitted to the workstation and then reconstructed to be axial, sagittal, coronal imaging. MR examination was used 1.5 T superconducting equipment system (Achieva Dual, Philips Co.) and with ankle joint special phased array coil. TSE sequence be used to scan routine axial T2-weighted imaging; coronal T1-weighted imaging; coronal PWI; and sagittal T2-weighted imaging with fat suppressed. The sagittal PWI scan was used with Isotropic with fat suppressed FFE sequence. The X-ray examination was finished for 28 person and 51 ankle joints. 26 person and 52 ankle joints were completed CT scan and reconstructed imaging for all joints. MR examination was finished in 30 person and 51 ankle joints. On X-ray and CT display that the abnormal changes of the talus is most commonly found that the incidence of "dolphin mouth" like protrusion at posterior edge was 35 ankles (rate of occurrence was 68.6%), the triangle prominence at out edge was 45 ankles (rate of occurrence was 88.2%). It also was found that 8 lateral malleolus have osteophytes, 5 ankles have medial malleolus osteophytes and 12 ankles have loose bodies at posterior ankle. MRI showed that 30 ankles were the anterior talofibular ligaments injury and incidence was 58.82%, 26 ankles were posterior talofibular ligaments injury (incidence was 51.0%), 25 ankles were calcanofibular ligaments injury (incidence was 49.0%), 29 ankles was the synovitis and local effusion at posterior ankle (incidence was 56.9%), the partial ligaments injured of deltoid ligaments were usually found and entirely torn were very rare (only three ankles). The former groups and shallow ligaments of deltoid ligaments were prone to injury. The common tendon disease of injury was tenosynovitis, 18 flexor hallucis longus tenosynovitis, 13 posterior tibialis tenosynovitis,7 flexor digitorium tenosynovitis, 5 peroneus longus tenosynovitis, 2 peroneus brevis tenosynovitis and 6 Achilles tendinopathy. Tendinosis and tendon degeneration was relatively rare. The professional soccer players have been easily lead to the anatomic abnormal and pathological changes in the bones, ligaments and tendons due to long-term training and competition. The majority changes were chronic injury. Imaging examination can be found the abnormal changes of ankle and could help athletes, coachs, doctors to understand and assess the ankle structure and functional status.