Assessments of Sensorimotor Deficits Used in Randomized Clinical Trials With Individuals With Ankle Sprains and Chronic Ankle Instability: A Scoping Review

PM&R ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shojiro Nozu ◽  
Masahiro Takemura ◽  
Gisela Sole
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 617-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip A. Gribble

Given the prevalence of lateral ankle sprains during physical activity and the high rate of reinjury and chronic ankle instability, clinicians should be cognizant of the need to expand the evaluation of ankle instability beyond the acute time point. Physical assessments of the injured ankle should be similar, regardless of whether this is the initial lateral ankle sprain or the patient has experienced multiple sprains. To this point, a thorough injury history of the affected ankle provides important information during the clinical examination. The physical examination should assess the talocrural and subtalar joints, and clinicians should be aware of efficacious diagnostic tools that provide information about the status of injured structures. As patients progress into the subacute and return-to-activity phases after injury, comprehensive assessments of lateral ankle-complex instability will identify any disease and patient-oriented outcome deficits that resemble chronic ankle instability, which should be addressed with appropriate interventions to minimize the risk of developing long-term, recurrent ankle instability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia J. Wright ◽  
Stacey L. Nauman ◽  
Jon C. Bosh

Controlled research has shown that a single-exercise wobble-board intervention is effective at reducing symptoms and increasing function in patients with chronic ankle instability. However, the effectiveness of this protocol has not been documented in a realistic intercollegiate athletics environment. Eight intercollegiate athletes with chronic ankle instability participated in an 8-week (3 sessions/wk) wobble-board intervention. In a realistic environment, this simple intervention was feasible to implement and resulted in meaningful improvements in patient-reported stability for more than half of the patients (5 of 8) but only improved the global rating of function and pain for a minority of the patients (2 of 8 and 3 of 8, respectively). Not all patients experienced equal symptom reduction; however, no new ankle sprains occurred during the intervention.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 639-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis D. Camacho ◽  
Zachary T. Roward ◽  
Yu Deng ◽  
L. Daniel Latt

Ankle sprains are common injuries involving the lateral ankle ligaments and affect athletes of all levels. Most patients heal uneventfully, but those with symptoms persisting past 3 months should be evaluated for chronic ankle instability and its associated conditions as well as for the presence of varus malalignment. Chronic ankle instability is initially treated nonoperatively, with surgical management reserved for those who have failed to improve after 3 to 6 months of bracing and functional rehabilitation. Anatomic repair using a modification of the Broström procedure is the preferred technique for initial surgery. Anatomic reconstruction with tendon graft should be considered when repair is not possible, as it maintains physiological joint kinematics. Nonanatomic reconstructions are seldom indicated. Arthroscopic repair or reconstruction of the lateral ankle ligaments is a promising new technique with results similar to those of open surgery.


2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Chinn ◽  
Jay Dicharry ◽  
Joseph M. Hart ◽  
Susan Saliba ◽  
Robert Wilder ◽  
...  

Context: Chronic ankle instability is characterized by repetitive lateral ankle sprains. Prophylactic ankle taping is a common intervention used to reduce the risk of ankle sprains. However, little research has been conducted to evaluate the effect ankle taping has on gait kinematics. Objective: To investigate the effect of taping on ankle and knee kinematics during walking and jogging in participants with chronic ankle instability. Design: Controlled laboratory study. Setting: Motion analysis laboratory. Patients or Participants: A total of 15 individuals (8 men, 7 women; age = 26.9 ± 6.8 years, height = 171.7 ± 6.3 cm, mass = 73.5 ± 10.7 kg) with self-reported chronic ankle instability volunteered. They had an average of 5.3 ± 3.1 incidences of ankle sprain. Intervention(s): Participants walked and jogged in shoes on a treadmill while untaped and taped. The tape technique was a traditional preventive taping procedure. Conditions were randomized. Main Outcome Measure(s): Frontal-plane and sagittal-plane ankle and sagittal-plane knee kinematics were recorded throughout the entire gait cycle. Group means and 90% confidence intervals were calculated, plotted, and inspected for percentages of the gait cycle in which the confidence intervals did not overlap. Results: During walking, participants were less plantar flexed from 64% to 69% of the gait cycle (mean difference = 5.73° ± 0.54°) and less inverted from 51% to 61% (mean difference = 4.34° ± 0.65°) and 76% to 81% (mean difference = 5.55° ± 0.54°) of the gait cycle when taped. During jogging, participants were less dorsiflexed from 12% to 21% (mean difference = 4.91° ± 0.18°) and less inverted from 47% to 58% (mean difference = 6.52° ± 0.12°) of the gait cycle when taped. No sagittal-plane knee kinematic differences were found. Conclusions: In those with chronic ankle instability, taping resulted in a more neutral ankle position during walking and jogging in shoes on a treadmill. This change in foot positioning and the mechanical properties of the tape may explain the protective aspect of taping in preventing lateral ankle sprains.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 785-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob A. Haynes ◽  
Michelle Gosselin ◽  
Brian Cusworth ◽  
Jeremy McCormick ◽  
Jeffrey Johnson ◽  
...  

Background: There is an increasing interest in the operative treatment of deltoid ligament disruption in the setting of chronic ankle instability. Understanding the vascular anatomy of the deltoid complex is beneficial when considering operative procedures on the medial ankle and may provide insight into factors that lead to chronic deltoid insufficiency and ankle instability. Methods: Thirty-two pairs of cadaveric specimens (64 total legs) were amputated below the knee, and the tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, and peroneal arteries were injected with India ink and Ward’s blue latex. Specimens then underwent chemical debridement to identify the vascular supply to the deltoid ligament. A subset of specimens also underwent intraosseous debridement using the modified Spalteholz technique. Results: The vascular supply to the deltoid ligament was clearly visualized in 60 (93.8%) specimens. Fifty-eight specimens (96.7%) had arterial supply with an origin from the medial tarsal artery, 57 specimens (95%) had supply from the tibialis posterior artery, and 23 (38.3%) specimens had supply from the tibialis anterior artery. All specimens had at least 1 location of intraosseous vascular supply, either at the medial malleolus or medial talus. Conclusion: There were 3 separate extraosseous sources and 2 intraosseous sources of vascular supply to the deltoid ligament. Clinical Relevance: Knowledge of the vascular supply may aid in identifying factors that predispose a subset of patients with medial ankle sprains to failure of conservative treatment, as well as provide useful anatomic information when considering operative treatment for chronic ankle instability.


2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick O. McKeon ◽  
Jay Hertel

Abstract Objective: To answer the following clinical questions: (1) Is poor postural control associated with increased risk of a lateral ankle sprain? (2) Is postural control adversely affected after acute lateral ankle sprain? (3) Is postural control adversely affected in those with chronic ankle instability? Data Sources: PubMed and CINAHL entries from 1966 through October 2006 were searched using the terms ankle sprain, ankle instability, balance, chronic ankle instability, functional ankle instability, postural control, and postural sway. Study Selection: Only studies assessing postural control measures in participants on a stable force plate performing the modified Romberg test were included. To be included, a study had to address at least 1 of the 3 clinical questions stated above and provide adequate results for calculation of effect sizes or odds ratios where applicable. Data Extraction: We calculated odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for studies assessing postural control as a risk factor for lateral ankle sprains. Effect sizes were estimated with the Cohen d and associated 95% confidence intervals for comparisons of postural control performance between healthy and injured groups, or healthy and injured limbs, respectively. Data Synthesis: Poor postural control is most likely associated with an increased risk of sustaining an acute ankle sprain. Postural control is impaired after acute lateral ankle sprain, with deficits identified in both the injured and uninjured sides compared with controls. Although chronic ankle instability has been purported to be associated with altered postural control, these impairments have not been detected consistently with the use of traditional instrumented measures. Conclusions: Instrumented postural control testing on stable force plates is better at identifying deficits that are associated with an increased risk of ankle sprain and that occur after acute ankle sprains than at detecting deficits related to chronic ankle instability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-376
Author(s):  
Kimmery Migel ◽  
Erik Wikstrom

Clinical Scenario: Approximately 30% of all first-time patients with LAS develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). CAI-associated impairments are thought to contribute to aberrant gait biomechanics, which increase the risk of subsequent ankle sprains and the development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Alternative modalities should be considered to improve gait biomechanics as impairment-based rehabilitation does not impact gait. Taping and bracing have been shown to reduce the risk of recurrent ankle sprains; however, their effects on CAI-associated gait biomechanics remain unknown. Clinical Question: Do ankle taping and bracing modify gait biomechanics in those with CAI? Summary of Key Findings: Three case-control studies assessed taping and bracing applications including kinesiotape, athletic tape, a flexible brace, and a semirigid brace. Kinesiotape decreased excessive inversion in early stance, whereas athletic taping decreased excessive inversion and plantar flexion in the swing phase and limited tibial external rotation in terminal stance. The flexible and semirigid brace increased dorsiflexion range of motion, and the semirigid brace limited plantar flexion range of motion at toe-off. Clinical Bottom Line: Taping and bracing acutely alter gait biomechanics in those with CAI. Strength of Recommendation: There is limited quality evidence (grade B) that taping and bracing can immediately alter gait biomechanics in patients with CAI.


Author(s):  
Patrick L. Rowe ◽  
Adam L. Bryant ◽  
Kade L. Paterson

Abstract Background Ankle sprains are the most commonly reported injury in netball. Approximately four in five netball athletes will sustain an ankle sprain, up to half will go on to sustain recurrent ankle sprains, and nine in ten report perceived ankle instability. Historically, prevention and management strategies of ankle sprains and injuries have been investigated for a variety of sports, however, no literature reviews have investigated these in netball athletes, or compared these with current best-practice within the literature. Therefore, this scoping review aims to understand how netball athletes currently prevent and manage ankle sprains and to compare these approaches with best-practice recommendations. Methods A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases using keywords to capture studies with data or information related to the prevention and management of ankle sprains and injuries in netball. Results The search strategy captured 982 studies across all databases, with 30 netball studies included in this scoping review. Studies suggest netball athletes are not commonly referred to health professionals, do not undertake adequate rehabilitation, and almost immediately return to court following an ankle sprain or injury. Current best-practices suggest injury prevention programs and external ankle support effectively reduce ankle sprains and injuries; however, poor compliance and implementation may be a significant barrier. Currently, there is a lack of evidence that netball-specific footwear reduces the risk of ankle sprains. Conclusion The findings suggest netball athletes do not implement current best-practice prevention and management strategies following an ankle sprain. This is despite evidence of the effectiveness of injury prevention programs, external ankle support, and adequate rehabilitation in reducing ankle sprain rates. Current-best practice prevention and management of ankle sprains should be considered by clinicians, coaches, and athletes to reduce the prevalence and chronicity of ankle sprains in netball.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-169
Author(s):  
Kimmery Migel ◽  
Erik Wikstrom

Introduction/Clinical Scenario: Ankle sprains are highly common within the population and can lead to chronic ankle instability (CAI). Individuals with CAI have both functional and mechanical impairments, which are thought to contribute to maladaptive gait biomechanics. Neuromuscular control and balance training are frequently incorporated into rehabilitation programs, however the effect of balance training on gait biomechanics remains unknown. Focused Clinical Question: Does balance or neuromuscular training improve gait biomechanics in individuals with CAI? Summary of Key Findings: Three studies assessed 4–6 weeks of progressive neuromuscular control training and found no improvements in gait biomechanics. One study found a worsening of eversion position at midstance upon program completion. However, when training was augmented with destabilizing shoes, improvements in dorsiflexion were noted. Clinical Bottom Line: Cumulative findings suggest that neuromuscular control training does not improve gait biomechanics in those with CAI. However, augmentation of programs may be beneficial. Strength of Recommendation: There is high-quality evidence(Grade B) that balance training does not alter gait biomechanics in patients with CAI.


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