Dynamic Postural-Stability Deficits After Cryotherapy to the Ankle Joint.
BACKGROUND
Decreased postural stability is a primary risk factor for lower limb musculoskeletal injuries. During athletic competitions, cryotherapy may be applied during short breaks in play or during half-time; however, its effects on postural stability remain unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the acute effects of a 15-minute ankle-joint cryotherapy application on dynamic postural stability.


METHODS
Controlled laboratory study.


METHODS
University biomechanics laboratory.


METHODS
A total of 29 elite-level collegiate male field-sport athletes (age = 20.8 ± 1.12 years, height = 1.80 ± 0.06 m, mass = 81.89 ± 8.59 kg) participated.


METHODS
Participants were tested on the anterior (ANT), posterolateral (PL), and posteromedial (PM) reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test before and after a 15-minute ankle-joint cryotherapy application.


METHODS
Normalized reach distances; sagittal-plane kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle joints; and associated mean velocity of the center-of-pressure path during performance of the ANT, PL, and PM reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test.


RESULTS
We observed a decrease in reach-distance scores for the ANT, PL, and PM reach directions from precryotherapy to postcryotherapy (P < .05). No differences were observed in hip-, knee-, or ankle-joint sagittal-plane kinematics (P > .05). We noted a decrease in mean velocity of the center-of-pressure path from precryotherapy to postcryotherapy (P < .05) in all reach directions.


CONCLUSIONS
Dynamic postural stability was adversely affected immediately after cryotherapy to the ankle joint.
School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science.|Institute for Sport & Health.
Karl
K
Fullam
School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science.|Institute for Sport & Health.|Insight Centre for Data Analytics, University College Dublin, Ireland.
Brian
B
Caulfield
Irish Rugby Football Union, Dublin, Ireland.
Garrett F
GF
Coughlan
School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science.
Mark
M
McGroarty
School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science.|Institute for Sport & Health.
Eamonn
E
Delahunt
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D014142:Track and Field / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
kinetics; lower limb; postural balance