Ankle Injuries, Imaging and Prevention Program Effectiveness in New Army Recruits

Infantry recruits will undergo a musculoskeletal examination to assess tendon, muscle, proprioception, agility, and joint status. Afterward, an exercise intervention program will be implemented, followed by a concluding evaluation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Ankle Sprains
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: excercises

Detailed Description

Purpose: To evaluate ankle injuries in new infantry recruits, including their characteristics, association with imaging and functional measures, and the effectiveness of a preventive exercise program.

Methods: 650 new male infantry soldiers aged 18-23 will be recruited to participate in the study at the beginning of their military training. At the beginning and the end of the training (after approximately six months), the soldiers will be assessed for the following: 1. Demographics (height, weight, leg length, BMI calculation), 2. Proprioception ability (Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus AMEDA), 3. Dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test YBT), 4. Leg muscle strength (bilateral heel rise test), 5. Hip strength (hand-held dynamometer), 6. Ankle agility (hexagon agility hop test), 7. Ankle stability (Anterior Drawer Test, musculoskeletal ultrasound for the Anterior Talofibular Ligament), 8. Achilles tendon structure (Ultrasound tissue Characterization UTC), 9. Aerobic ability (3000 meters run, will be recorded by the fitness instructors at the training base). In addition, the soldiers will fill out a previous ankle sprains questionnaire, pre-induction physical activity questionnaire, the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) for ankle perceived instability, and the Ankle Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (ankle-FABQ).

The soldiers will perform a constructed ankle sprain prevention program for five minutes every day during the six-month length of the study. Every 1-2 weeks, the researcher will arrive at the training base to monitor ankle injuries. Those who are diagnosed with a sprain will undergo ultrasound evaluations, which will be performed every few weeks.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 786
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Netanya, Israel
    • The Academic college Levinsky-Wingate at the Wingate Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• soldiers ages 18-22

Exclusion Criteria:

• knows disease of the bones
• before orthopedic surgery

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: research group; active exercises for few weeks	Other: excercises; exercises for strength and balance
No Intervention: control; control group - no intervention, continue their routine

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proprioception ability	Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus AMEDA	baseline, end of intervention
balance	Y balance test	baseline, end of intervention
Leg muscle strength	bilateral heel rise test	baseline, end of intervention
Hip muscle strength	hand held dynamometer	baseline, end of intervention
Ankle agility	hexagon agility hop test	baseline, end of intervention
Ankle stability	Anterior Drawer Test, musculoskeletal ultrasound for the Anterior Talofibular Ligament	baseline, end of intervention
Achilles tendon structure	Ultrasound tissue Characterization for the percentage of fibers types	baseline, end of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Haifa
• Collaborators: Zinman College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gali Dar, Prof., University of Haifa

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 15, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): September 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): June 21, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 26, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; injury; ankle; soldiers
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Leg Injuries; Behavior; Ankle Injuries; Wounds and Injuries; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 231/22

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No