scholarly journals People with chronic ankle instability benefit from brace application in highly dynamic change of direction movements

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Fuerst ◽  
Albert Gollhofer ◽  
Markus Wenning ◽  
Dominic Gehring
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Chronic Ankle Instability ◽  
Mechanical Resistance ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Neuromuscular Activation ◽  
Ankle Inversion ◽  
Ankle Brace

Abstract Background The application of ankle braces is an effective method for the prevention of recurrent ankle sprains. It has been proposed that the reduction of injury rates is based on the mechanical stiffness of the brace and on beneficial effects on proprioception and neuromuscular activation. Yet, how the neuromuscular system responds to the application of various types of ankle braces during highly dynamic injury-relevant movements is not well understood. Enhanced stability of the ankle joint seems especially important for people with chronic ankle instability. We therefore aimed to analyse the effects of a soft and a semi-rigid ankle brace on the execution of highly dynamic 180° turning movements in participants with and without chronic ankle instability. Methods Fifteen participants with functional ankle instability, 15 participants with functional and mechanical ankle instability and 15 healthy controls performed 180° turning movements in reaction to light signals in a cross-sectional descriptive laboratory study. Ankle joint kinematics and kinetics as well as neuromuscular activation of muscles surrounding the ankle joint were determined. Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance and post-hoc t-tests were calculated. Results Maximum ankle inversion angles and velocities were significantly reduced with the semi-rigid brace in comparison to the conditions without a brace and with the soft brace (p ≤ 0.006, d ≥ 0.303). Effect sizes of these reductions were larger in participants with chronic ankle instability than in healthy controls. Furthermore, peroneal activation levels decreased significantly with the semi-rigid brace in the 100 ms before and after ground contact. No statistically significant brace by group effects were found. Conclusions Based on these findings, we argue that people with ankle instability in particular seem to benefit from a semi-rigid ankle brace, which allows them to keep ankle inversion angles in a range that is comparable to values of healthy people. Lower ankle inversion angles and velocities with a semi-rigid brace may explain reduced injury incidences with brace application. The lack of effect of the soft brace indicates that the primary mechanism behind the reduction of inversion angles and velocities is the mechanical resistance of the brace in the frontal plane.

Ankle Joint Control in People with Chronic Ankle Instability During Run-and-cut Movements

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 853-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Fuerst ◽  
Albert Gollhofer ◽  
Heinz Lohrer ◽  
Dominic Gehring
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Frontal Plane ◽  
Chronic Ankle Instability ◽  
Joint Control ◽  
Mechanical Instability ◽  
Functional Instability ◽  
Average Maximum ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

AbstractDespite a considerable amount of research, the deficits causing recurrent sprains in people with chronic ankle instability are still unclear. Changes in frontal plane kinematics and decreased peroneal activation have been proposed as potential underlying mechanisms, but whether people with ankle instability show deficits in control of injury-relevant movements is not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to analyse ankle joint kinematics and kinetics as well as neuromuscular activation during dynamic change-of-direction movements. Eighteen participants with functional instability, 18 participants with functional and mechanical instability and 18 healthy controls performed 45° sidestep-cutting and 180° turning movements in reaction to light signals. During sidestep-cutting both instability groups displayed significantly lower inversion angles than controls when the trials with the highest maximum inversion angle of each participant were compared. In turning movements, participants with functional instability presented significantly lower average maximum inversion angles than controls as well as higher peroneal activation before foot strike than participants with both functional and mechanical instability. We theorize that the observed changes in movement kinematics of participants with chronic ankle instability are the result of a protective strategy to limit frontal plane ankle joint loading in potentially harmful situations.

Altered Ankle Kinematics and Shank-Rear-Foot Coupling in Those with Chronic Ankle Instability

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay K. Drewes ◽  
Patrick O. McKeon ◽  
Gabriele Paolini ◽  
Patrick Riley ◽  
D. Casey Kerrigan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Chronic Ankle Instability ◽  
Initial Contact ◽  
3 Dimensional ◽  
Joint Coupling ◽  
Ankle Inversion ◽  
Ankle Kinematics ◽  
Phase Angles

Context:Kinematic patterns during gait have not been extensively studied in relation to chronic ankle instability (CAI).Objective:To determine whether individuals with CAI demonstrate altered ankle kinematics and shank-rear-foot coupling compared with controls during walking and jogging.Design:Case control.Setting:Motion-analysis laboratory.Participants:7 participants (3 men, 4 women) suffering from CAI (age 24.6 ± 4.2 y, height 172.6 ± 9.4 cm, mass 70.9 ± 8.1 kg) and 7 (3 men, 4 women) healthy, matched controls (age 24.7 ± 4.5 y, height 168.2 ± 5.9 cm, mass 66.5 ± 9.8 kg).Interventions:Subjects walked and jogged on a treadmill while 3-dimensional kinematics of the lower extremities were captured.Main Outcome Measures:The positions of rear-foot inversion–eversion and shank rotation were calculated throughout the gait cycle. Continuous relative-phase angles between these segments were calculated to assess coupling.Results:The CAI group demonstrated more rear-foot inversion and shank external rotation during walking and jogging. There were differences between groups in shank-rear-foot coupling during terminal swing at both speeds.Conclusions:Altered ankle kinematics and joint coupling during the terminal-swing phase of gait may predispose a population with CAI to ankle-inversion injuries. Less coordinated movement during gait may be an indication of altered neuromuscular recruitment of the musculature surrounding the ankle as the foot is being positioned for initial contact.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Kinesio Taping for Dynamic Postural Stability in Adolescent Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
Ji-Hoon Cho ◽  
Seung-Taek Lim ◽  
Jupil Ko
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Postural Stability ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
Chronic Ankle Instability ◽  
Adolescent Athletes ◽  
Injured Limb ◽  
Balance Test ◽  
Dynamic Postural Stability

OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of K-tape on dynamic postural stability of the injured limb in adolescent athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI) by measuring reach distance with the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT).METHODS Twenty volunteers (20 females [17.78 ± 1.22 yrs], height [163.89 ± 7.69 cm], mass [62.51 ± 9.81 kg]) with CAI. Four strips of K-tape were applied to the injured limb. Participants completed 4 trials of testing (2 with tape, 2 without tape) using the mSEBT as the assessment tool. We applied 4 strips of K-tape to the injured limb and then tested postural stability using the mSEBT to see if there was an increase of reach distance in the mSEBT. Measuring reach distance in Anterior (AN), Posteromedial (PM), Posterolateral (PL) on the injured limb with K-tape and without K-tape condition. We measured the reach distances and then normalized the distance to account for height differences. A repeated measures t-test was used for this study.RESULTS There is no statistically significant different between the condition with K-tape and without K-tape in the reach distances on the mSEBT in adolescent athletes with CAI.CONCLUSIONS Based on the results, there appears to be no improvement of reach distance using the mSEBT in adolescent athletes with CAI. Therefore, clinicians need their thoughtful consideration for applying K-tape to improve dynamic postural stability in adolescent athletes with CAI.

The Immediate Effects of Ankle Joint Mobilization on Ankle Musculotendinous Stiffness in Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
M. Spencer Cain ◽  
Kyeongtak Song ◽  
J. Troy Blackburn ◽  
Kimmery Migel ◽  
Erik A. Wikstrom
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
Change Score ◽  
Chronic Ankle Instability ◽  
Minimal Detectable Change ◽  
Plantar Flexor ◽  
Joint Mobilization ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Damped Oscillation ◽  
Musculotendinous Stiffness

Ankle joint mobilization has been shown to be effective at improving outcomes in those with chronic ankle instability (CAI), but the neuromuscular mechanisms are still unknown. We aimed to determine the immediate effect of a single Grade III anterior-to-posterior ankle joint mobilization bout on ankle musculotendinous stiffness (MTS) in those with CAI. Seventeen CAI participants had plantar flexor and fibularis MTS assessed before and after a 5-min joint mobilization treatment. MTS outcomes were estimated using the damped oscillation method. Fibularis (0.25 ± 0.41 N/m/kg, p = .028) but not plantar flexor MTS (−2.18 ± 14.35 N/m/kg, p = .539) changed following mobilization and exceeded the calculated minimal detectable change score (0.12 N/m/kg). Increased fibularis MTS may represent a neuromuscular mechanism by which ankle joint mobilizations improve postural control in those with CAI.

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