LAUSR

CONTEXT. Firefighters participating in mandatory physical exercise sessions are exposed to a high ankle sprains' injury risk. Although both physiological and psychological risk factors have been identified, few prospective studies considered the complex interaction of these factors in firefighters. OBJECTIVE. To prospectively determine whether intrinsic physical risk factors and work-related environment predict ankle sprains occurring during on duty physical exercise in firefighters during an 8-month follow-up period. DESIGN. Prospective. SETTING. Fire Department and Rescue Service. PARTICIPANTS. Thirty-nine firefighters were selected based on convenience sampling. INTERVENTION. Participants performed physical tests and completed questionnaires. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT-LQ), Weight Bearing Lunge Test (WBLT), anthropometric measures, postural stability, chronic ankle instability scores (CAIT), previous injuries, and perceived psychosocial work environment (COPSOQ). RESULTS. During the follow-up, nine firefighters sustained an injury. YBT-LQ and WBLT per-formances, CAIT scores, history of previous ankle sprain and specific dimensions of the COPSOQ significantly differed between injured and uninjured firefighters. Lower limbs asym-metries of the YBT-LQ (i.e., anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral directions) and the WBLT were predictors of ankle sprains. CONCLUSIONS. These findings originally provide evidence that intrinsic factors mainly contrib-ute to ankle sprains, although psychosocial work environment assessment could also charac-terize firefighters at risk.