title: Bilateral deficits in postural control following lateral ankle sprain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although postural control deficits have been identified after lateral ankle sprains, objective and subjective comparisons of data before and after injury are limited. The purpose of this project was to prospectively assess and compare the changes in postural control and self-reported functional status in athletes who suffer acute lateral ankle sprains. We evaluated postural control and self-reported functional status before injury and at 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after acute lateral ankle sprain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postural control in single-limb stance and self-reported functional status were evaluated in 460 collegiate athletes during preseason examinations. Twenty-eight athletes suffered a lateral ankle sprain during the competitive season and participated in testing at 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant deficits in postural control were noted in both the injured and the uninjured ankles at 1 day after injury compared to the baseline measurements taken during the preseason examinations. Significant differences (p < .05) also were noted between the uninjured and injured ankles at 1, 7, and 21 days after injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After lateral ankle sprain, postural control deficits occur in the injured and uninjured ankles, suggesting a central impairment in neuromuscular control. Changes in self-reported functional status followed a trend of deficit and improvement that was similar to that shown by the postural control data taken after injury, but the two measures did not strongly correlate.
authors.affiliation: University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0241, USA. todd.evans@uni.edu
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hertel
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sebastianelli
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013177:Sports; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*