Evidence Based Return-to-Play after Foot and Ankle Injuries

After foot and ankle injuries, it is common for athletes, coaches, and parents to wonder how long the recovery and rehabilitation will be and, most importantly, when athletes can go back to playing their respective sport. Literature in orthopedics and sports medicine over the last several years have progressed and investigated more athlete-specific questions such as rehabilitation criteria in order to return to sport. However, an updated organized resource that comprehensively includes a simple reference on current guidelines on return to play following foot and ankle injuries does not exist. This book's goal is to reduce bias by identifying, appraising, and synthesizing all relevant studies. The Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool was used to evaluate the validity and risks of bias of each study included in our book. This book adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This book provides a comprehensive resource of rehabilitation protocols, their success, details, and criteria for return to play after foot and ankle injuries and reported complications from over 170 clinical studies.