Jente Wagemans
Jente Wagemans is a sports physiotherapist with a PhD in ankle rehabilitation and research director at ARRISE, a sports medicine research and rehabilitation centre in Kapellen (Antwerp). He obtained his doctorate at the University of Antwerp on the topic of ankle sprains, chronic ankle instability and return to sport, in collaboration with Ulster University and Bern University of Applied Sciences. He gained his clinical experience at, among others, Royal Antwerp FC, basketball club Antwerp Giants and Antwerp Rugby Club.
Jente is internationally active as a speaker and consultant, with presentations at conferences worldwide. Within his research, he collaborates with FIFA on injury prevention in football, using AI to predict and prevent injuries in elite athletes. He also serves on the medical board of Antwerp Rugby Club, continuously bridging his academic work with the realities of elite sport.
His scientific work focuses on the biomechanical and neuromuscular aspects of ankle injuries, with a strong emphasis on the gap between existing rehabilitation protocols and the actual mechanisms behind re-injury. Thanks to his combination of scientific insight, clinical experience and international collaboration, Jente is regarded as a leading expert in the field of ankle rehabilitation. His courses provide physiotherapists and sports health professionals with practical tools to better treat and prevent ankle injuries.
Podcasts
Physiotutors Podcast – EP. 067: Step by Step – The Ultimate Guide to Ankle Sprains with Jente Wagemans
Jente discusses lateral ankle ligament injuries, chronic ankle instability and his approach from the acute phase to return to sport.
Publications by Jente Wagemans
Here are some recent publications by Jente. For a complete list of his work, you can visit his ResearchGate profile or browse his PubMed publications.
- Wagemans J, Dingenen B, Clockaerts S, Bleakley C. Physiotherapists Approach in Lateral Ankle Sprain Rehabilitation: A Survey Study. J Sport Rehabil. 2025;35(1):31-38. PMID: 40174890
- Wagemans J, Dingenen B, Tassignon B. Return-to-sport following lateral ankle sprain: Connecting scientific frameworks and real-world protocols of elite sports teams. Phys Ther Sport. 2026;78:101899. PMID: 41689991
- Wagemans J et al. Clinical assessments are valid to grade ligament injury severity compared to ultrasound imaging in patients with acute lateral ankle sprains. Phys Ther Sport. 2026;77:95-103. PMID: 41448038
- Bleakley C, Klempel N, Wagemans J et al. Statistical Power in Musculoskeletal Research: A Meta-Review of 266 Randomised Controlled Trials. Sports Med Open. 2025;11(1):134. PMID: 41269466
- Wagemans J et al. Rehabilitation strategies for lateral ankle sprain do not reflect established mechanisms of re-injury: A systematic review. Phys Ther Sport. 2023;60:75-83. PMID: 36716507
- Wagemans J et al. Determining key clinical predictors for chronic ankle instability and return to sports with cost of illness analysis. BMJ Open. 2023;13(5):e069867. PMID: 37164478
- Schurz AP, Wagemans J et al. Impairment-based assessments for patients with lateral ankle sprain: A systematic review of measurement properties. PLoS One. 2023;18(2):e0280388. PMID: 36812288
- Bleakley CM, Wagemans J et al. How robust are clinical trials in primary and secondary ankle sprain prevention? Phys Ther Sport. 2023;64:85-90. PMID: 37801794
- Wagemans J et al. Exercise-based rehabilitation reduces reinjury following acute lateral ankle sprain: A systematic review update with meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2022;17(2):e0262023. PMID: 35134061
- Bleakley C, Wagemans J, Netterström-Wedin F. Understanding chronic ankle instability: model rich, data poor. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(9):463-464. PMID: 33106250