Proprioception and Postural Control: Clinical Insights from Recent Research
By Brice Picot
Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common consequence of repeated ankle sprains, often leading to impaired postural control and proprioception. Understanding the impact of these deficits is crucial for improving rehabilitation strategies. Not all patients suffering from CAI exhibits postural impairments or proprioceptive acuity and reweighting deficits. Poorer proprioceptive acuity is associated…
Keep readingExternal Ankle Support and Ankle Biomechanics in Chronic Ankle Instability
By Patrick Rowe
This review found that ankle supports (taping and bracing) reduce inward motion but not inward position at ground contact in people with unstable ankles during landing. This may help prevent ankle sprains or lessen injury severity by limiting excessive inward movement. However, while ankle supports also reduce forward ankle motion, this could…
Keep readingDo ankle braces affect functional performance?
By Tomas Megalaa
Clinicians and sports practitioners can confidently prescribe ankle braces without concern of having a negative impact on functional performance. This study demonstrated that neither the KISS® nor Aircast ankle brace negatively affected objective measures of functional performance or balance in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Further, participants perceived greater…
Keep readingLow Ankle-GO Score While Returning to Sport After Lateral Ankle Sprain Leads to a 9-fold Increased Risk of Recurrence: A Two-year Prospective Cohort Study
By Lauren Forsyth
The Ankle-GO score is an objective assessment of functional performance and self-reported function which can be used to guide return to sport (RTS) decisions after lateral ankle sprain (LAS) and inform clinical management. When patients scored low of the Ankle-GO their 2-year risk of ankle sprain recurrence was nine times higher. Women…
Keep readingSensory Reweighting System Differences on Vestibular Feedback with Increased Task Constraints
By Yuki Sugimoto
The results highlight the importance of considering vestibular feedback reliance during postural control assessment and rehabilitation in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Combining tests such as the horizontal head impulse test with single-limb postural assessments may reveal underlying sensory reweighting dysfunction, especially under varying environmental and task conditions. Clinicians should explore…
Keep readingUse of Functional Tests to Predict Ankle Instability Development
By Luke Donovan
Following an acute lateral ankle sprain, balance performance on foam in tandem stance, willingness to perform a single-limb drop landing task, and limb-dominance of the injured ankle were associated with the development of ankle instability 6-months after the initial injury. Clinicians can use these functional tasks and descriptive information to identify patients…
Keep readingDual-Task Postural Control Assessment in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
By Matthew Hoch
Take-to-the-clinic message: The clinical utility of dual-task assessments is continually evolving for an array of sports medicine applications. This meta-analysis sought to examine the ability of dual-task balance and gait assessments to identify performance deficits in people with chronic ankle instability. The literature to date is unable to consistently identify balance or…
Keep readingParticipant-Level Improvements in Health-Related Quality of Life in Those With Chronic Ankle Instability
By Cameron Powden
This investigation matches previous literature indicating that the available chronic ankle instability (CAI) interventions are capable of improving self-reported ankle function, global well-being, and injury-related fear at the group level for patients with CAI. This study uniquely assessed individual level responses of patients with CAI to multimodal interventions. Between 13.8% and 53.3%…
Keep readingImpact of Electrical Stimulation with Balance Training in those with CAI
By Alan Needle
Take-to-the-clinic message: Combining neuromuscular electrical stimulation with balance exercises improved long-term ankle function in individuals with chronic ankle instability better than therapeutic exercise combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. These effects were observed with 12 total treatment sessions over 4-6 weeks, with improvements seen at 6 and 12 months following the intervention.
Keep readingChronic Ankle Instability, Kinesiophobia, and Postural Control
By Ji Yeon Choi
CAI patients with kinesiophobia rely more on visual feedback for static balance and show reduced performance in dynamic balance compared to those without kinesiophobia and controls. Clinicians should address both psychological and physical factors in rehab programs.
Keep readingPatient-Reported Outcomes at Return to Sport After Lateral Ankle Sprain Injuries
By Alexandra DeJong Lempke
Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are extremely common in sport and are often viewed as insignificant injuries with quick recoveries. Most patients return to sport within 10 days of injury, yet it is not clear if athletes may have lingering symptoms that may affect their long-term health. Understanding how patients with ankle…
Keep readingAssociation Between Ankle Osteoarthritis, Injury, Surgery, Health Related Quality of Life
By Erik Wikstrom
A history of severe ankle injury and/or ankle surgery increases a professional footballer’s risk of ankle osteoarthritis (OA). Educating professional footballers, and all athletes, about the long-term risks of ankle injuries and surgeries will be critical to engaging athletes in ankle injury prevention as well as proper treatment protocols post injury and…
Keep reading
International Ankle Consortium 