Variability of motion in individuals with mechanical or functional ankle instability during a stop jump maneuver.
BACKGROUND
Movement variability may influence episodes of instability following lateral ankle sprain.


METHODS
Sixty-three recreational athletes with a history of moderate-severe ankle sprain were recruited. Mechanically and functionally unstable ankle groups had 2 episodes of instability in the last year. Mechanically unstable had clinically lax lateral ankle ligaments; functionally unstable and copers did not. Copers had a history of sprain but no residual instability. Lower extremity 3-dimensional kinematics and ground reaction forces were measured during a 2-legged stop jump. Average ensemble curves of eight trials normalized to 100% of stance phase were created. The coefficient of variation and average standard deviation of the ensemble curves of each variable were identified. A log(e) (ln) transformation was performed on the data. One-way ANOVAs with Tukey post hoc testing were utilized with alpha=0.05.


RESULTS
The functionally unstable group demonstrated greater mean (standard deviation) ln coefficient of variation ankle inversion/eversion 3.56 (1.19) than the mechanically unstable 2.77 (0.95) and copers 2.74 (1.05) (P=0.05 and P=0.04; eta(p)(2)=0.12), and greater ln standard deviation ankle inversion/eversion 1.07 (0.78) than copers 0.61 (0.31) (eta(p)(2)=0.13). The mechanically unstable group demonstrated greater ln coefficient of variation anterior-posterior ground reaction force 3.69 (0.27) than functionally unstable 3.43 (0.25) (P=0.02; eta(p)(2)=0.13).


CONCLUSIONS
Functionally unstable individuals demonstrated greater ankle frontal plane movement variability during a stop jump, which may increase risk of instability. Mechanically unstable participants demonstrated greater anterior-posterior ground reaction force variability, which may indicate difficulty mitigating landing forces with lax ligaments. Movement variability may influence episodes of ankle instability.
Brown
Cathleen N
CN
Biomechanics Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. browncn@uga.edu
Padua
Darin A
DA
Marshall
Stephen W
SW
Guskiewicz
Kevin M
KM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult