316 Tamara C. Valovich McLeod, PhD, ATC, is with the Athletic Training Program at A.T. Still University in Mesa AZ. E-mail: tmcleod@atsu.edu. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 2008, 17, 316-323 © 2008 Human Kinetics, Inc. The Effectiveness of Balance Training Programs on Reducing the Incidence of Ankle Sprains in Adolescent Athletes Tamara C. Valovich McLeod Clinical Scenario Ankle sprains are one of the most common sport-related injuries treated by reha- bilitation professionals. These injuries often result in lost participation and can lead to subsequent injury episodes. Therefore, it is important to determine appropriate means of preventing these injuries. There has recently been an increase in the popularity of balance training programs for the prevention of knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, with some thought that starting these programs in younger athletes may be most beneficial. However, there is the potential that these types of training programs may also be beneficial for decreasing the risk of other lower extremity injuries, including ankle sprains in the adolescent athlete. Focused Clinical Question Are balance training programs effective at reducing ankle sprain injury rates in adolescent athletes? Summary of Search, “Best Evidence” appraised, and Key Findings The literature was searched for studies of level 2 evidence or higher that •฀ investigated the effect of balance or proprioceptive training programs on ankle sprain incidence in adolescent athletes. Two high quality RCT and 2 cohort studies were included. •฀ Two studies demonstrated reductions in ankle sprain injury rates following •฀ balance training programs that included preseason and in-season supervised sessions. CRITICALLY APPRAISED TOPIC (CAT)