The major cause of ligamentous ankle lesions in elite handball players involves plantarflexed and inversion ankle movements. Due to the decreased stability in that postural position, and due to sport-specific cutting actions, severe inversion/eversion injuries can occur. Acute lateral ankle injury must be initially managed with functional treatment. A short immobilisation period should be followed by proprioception training to obtain full recovery of ankle function. When chronic lateral ankle instability occurs (following repeated episodes of ankle sprains) and/or when functional rehabilitation fails, surgery is required. Bröstrom-Gould anatomic repair can be considered the most successful surgical procedure, especially for an explosive impact sport such as elite handball.
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