Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce suffered an ankle sprain on August 31 during practice. Fortunately, his injury is nothing but a low-grade sprain and won’t keep him from playing the regular season.
Ankle sprains are common sports injuries. A sprain occurs when the ankle rolls outward and the foot turns inward and rolls under the leg. This causes the ligaments on the outside of the ankle to stretch and tear resulting in pain, swelling and bruising. The most common injured ankle ligaments are the anterior talofibular ligament, which connects the talus to the fibula and the calcaneal fibular ligament, which connects the fibula to the calcaneus.
The severity of the ankle sprain determines the course of treatment.
- Grade 1 sprain: slight stretching of the ligament
- Grade 2: partial tearing of the ligament
- Grade 3: complete tear of the ligament
Treatment in the first 48 to 72 hours consists of following the R.I.C.E guidelines
- Rest
- Ice for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours
- Compression with an ACE wrap
- Elevate leg above the level of the heart
- Depending on the severity of the sprain and the degree of ankle instability, you may need a cast or walking boot to immobilize your ankle so that it can heal properly. In rare cases of severe ligament tears, you may require surgery to repair the damage.
Based on reports Kelce suffered a low grade sprain and will make a full recovery and return to normal activities. To prevent future ankle sprains or ankle instability it is important for Kelce to restore his ankle’s flexibility, range of motion and strength.
Dr. Dardashti