Characteristics of Nonoperative Ankle Sprain Patients in Makassar: A Retrospective Descriptive Study

Abstrak

Background: Ankle sprain is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries and may result in persistent pain, functional limitation, recurrent injury, and chronic ankle instability. Local data describing the characteristics of patients receiving nonoperative physiotherapy care in Makassar remain limited.
Objective: To describe the characteristics of nonoperative ankle sprain patients treated at physiotherapy clinics in Makassar, Indonesia, during 2023 to 2024.
Methods: This retrospective descriptive study used secondary data from medical records of 238 nonoperative ankle sprain patients treated at five physiotherapy clinics in Makassar between January 2023 and December 2024. Total sampling was used. Data were summarized using frequencies and percentages with IBM SPSS Statistics version 24.
Results: Early adulthood, defined as 26 to 35 years, was the most represented age group (31.5%). Most patients were male (61.8%) and self-employed (26.1%). Lateral ankle sprain accounted for 92.0% of cases, and noncontact mechanisms accounted for 71.8%. Right sided injuries were most common (63.9%), and 74.4% represented a first episode. Pain and functional limitation were recorded in all patients, while swelling was present in 89.5%. Most patients had no documented complication (91.2%) and were classified as adherent to therapy (94.5%).
Conclusion: Nonoperative ankle sprain patients receiving physiotherapy care in Makassar were predominantly young adults, male, and self-employed, with lateral ankle sprain and noncontact mechanisms being the most common characteristics. These findings provide a local descriptive basis for prevention and rehabilitation planning, although they should not be generalized to all individuals with ankle sprain in Makassar.