Oral Contraceptive Use Has Protective Effect Against Ankle Sprains in Women.
Shi RX, Maloy GC, Pappajohn AF, Grauer JN. · Sports health · 2026
Background: Ankle sprain (AS) is among the most common musculoskeletal injury, particularly in women. Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle may contribute to this sex disparity by affecting ligamentous laxity and muscle stiffness. While oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) modulate hormone levels and have been linked to reduced anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, there is limited evidence on the correlation of OCPs with AS. Hypothesis OCP use is associated with decreased odds of AS in a large national cohort.
Study design: Case-control study. Level of evidence Level 4.
Methods: The 2010-2023 PearlDiver database was queried for female patients aged 15 years to 50 years old with and without AS, identified from orthopaedic and control populations, respectively. Controls were subsequently matched 1:1 to AS patients. Each cohort was stratified by OCP use, defined as OCP prescription within 1 year before AS, and subcategorized by OCP formulation. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate independent predictors of AS, including OCP use, with secondary analysis for OCP type.
Results: In total, 1,836,163 patients with ASs and 108,761 controls met inclusion criteria. On average, the AS cohort was older (30.3 vs 27.5 years; P P P P P P
Conclusion: Patients using OCP were found to have significantly decreased odds of AS compared with non-OCP patients. Clinical relevance These
Findings: may guide future treatment and injury prevention plans, particularly for at-risk female athletes.