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I can remember the first time I sprained an ankle. I was running home from my junior high school. The pain was excrutiating. Since that day, I've sprained both my ankles dozens of times. It happened so frequently in high school that I played soccer in high-top cleats, earning me the nickname "Boots."

Even today I twist my ankles frequently, sometimes when I'm at a slow walk.

A small study into ankle injuries by researchers at the University of Georgia may finally explain why people like me are at risk for repeat sprains. The study is published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Researchers used motion capture equipment to analyze the joint movements and force of more than 30 male recreational athletes. Some of the athletes had a history of repetitive ankle injuries while others had no history.

The researchers looked at the three motions of the ankle and observed that athletes with repetitive ankle sprains had lower clearance heights between their feet and the floor during running and pointed their toes down more during walking.

In anatomical terms the participants at higher risk had "greater plantar flexion and lower minimum metatarsal height," which increased their risk instability.