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Chronic ankle morbidity in obese children following an acute ankle injury.

Timm NL, Grupp-Phelan J, Ho ML

Division of Emergency Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039, USA. Nathan.timm@cchmc.org

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between childhood obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) and long-term morbidity after an acute ankle sprain. DESIGN: Six-month prospective cohort study with follow-up telephone questionnaires at 6 weeks and 6 months. SETTING: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center emergency department. PATIENTS: Children between the ages of 8 and 18 years who presented with a chief complaint of an acute ankle injury were enrolled in the study. Children with ankle fractures were excluded. Exposed children were defined as those with a BMI in the 85th or greater percentile for age. Nonexposed children were defined as those with a BMI in the less than 85th percentile for age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Persistent symptoms of pain, swelling, or weakness; pain during or after exercise; and recurrent ankle injury. RESULTS: A total of 199 children were enrolled. The exposed and nonexposed groups were similar in terms of sex, age, and ethnicity. A total of 164 (93%) had complete follow-up at 6 months. Six months after an ankle injury, children with a BMI in the 85th or greater percentile for age were more likely to sustain persistent symptoms (relative risk, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.61). CONCLUSION: Overweight children are more likely to have persistent symptoms 6 months after an acute ankle sprain.

Published 4 January 2005 in Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 159(1): 33-6.
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