Stair descent biomechanics reflect perceived instability in people with unilateral ankle sprain history

Ankle inversion proprioception measured during stair descent can identify chronic ankle instability

BACKGROUND

Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) may experience recurrent ankle sprains and symptoms during daily activities such as stair descent, where the associated proprioceptive deficit is largely unevaluated.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the reliability and validity of an ankle inversion discrimination apparatus for stair descent, and examine whether proprioceptive scores from this apparatus are associated with patient-reported symptoms.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHOD

Sixty-six participants volunteered in this study. The ankle inversion discrimination apparatus was purpose-built to assess ankle proprioception across four positions of ankle inversion (10°, 12°, 14°, and 16°) during stair descent. The Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUC) was employed as the ankle proprioceptive discrimination score.

RESULTS

Test-retest reliability ICC (3,1) for the whole group was 0.825, with 0.747 for the non-CAI group (95%CI = 0.331-0.920) and 0.701 for CAI (95%CI = 0.242-0.904). The CAI group performed at a significantly lower level than non-CAI on the ankle inversion discrimination apparatus for stair descent assessment (0.769 ± 0.034 vs. 0.830 ± 0.035, F = 33.786, p < 0.001). CAIT scores were strongly and significantly correlated with scores from this apparatus (Spearman's rho = 0.730, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The ankle inversion discrimination apparatus for stair descent is reliable and valid for assessing task-specific ankle proprioceptive impairments in CAI. The strong and significant relationship found between ankle proprioception during stair descent and the severity of CAI suggests that rehabilitation programs focusing on deficits in ankle inversion proprioception during stair descent may improve self-reported instability in CAI.

Functional effects of arthroscopic modified Broström procedure on lateral ankle instability: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

This study aims to assess the mechanical and functional effects of the arthroscopic modified Broström procedure (AMBP) on patients with lateral ankle instability.

METHODS

Eight patients with unilateral ankle instability treated with AMBP and eight healthy subjects were recruited. Healthy subjects, preoperative and one-year postoperative patients were assessed using outcome scales and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) for dynamic postural control. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping was performed to compare ankle angle and muscle activation curve during stair descent.

RESULTS

The patients with lateral ankle instability showed good clinical outcomes and increased posterior lateral reach during the SEBT after the AMBP (p = 0.046). The medial gastrocnemius activation after initial contact was reduced (p = 0.049), and the peroneal longus activation after initial contact was promoted (p = 0.014).

CONCLUSION

The AMBP has functional effects of promoting dynamic postural control and peroneal longus activation within one year of follow-up, which can benefit patients with functional ankle instability. However, the medial gastrocnemius activation was unexpectedly reduced post operation.

The influence of local pain on balance control in patients with chronic ankle instability

Background

Local pain around the ankle joint is a common symptom in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). However, whether the local pain would impose any influence on the balance control performance of CAI patients is still unknown.

Methods

A total of twenty-six subjects were recruited and divided into the following two groups: pain-free CAI (group A) and pain-present CAI (group B). Subjects in both groups received two independent tests: the star excursion balance test and the single-leg stance test, in order to reflect their balance control ability more accurately.

Results

Compared with group A, the group B showed significantly more episodes of the history of sprains, decreased ankle maximum plantarflexion angle, and lower Cumberland scores (all p < 0.05). In the star excursion balance test, group B demonstrated a significantly reduced anterior reach distance than group A (p < 0.05). During the single leg stance test, group B showed a significant increase in the magnitude of electromyographic signals both in peroneus longus and soleus muscles than group A (each p < 0.05). Additionally, group B had a significantly more anterolaterally positioned plantar center of pressure than group A (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

CAI patients with local pain around the ankle joint had more episodes of sprains and lower functional scores when compared to those without pain. The balance control performance was also worse in the pain-present CAI patients than those without pain.

Surgical management of concurrent lateral ankle instability and osteochondral lesions of the talus increases dynamic sagittal ankle range of motion

PURPOSE

A biomechanical study, in which imaging modalities are used to strictly include patients with concurrent lateral ankle instability (LAI) and osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT), is needed to demonstrate the static and dynamic ankle range of motion (ROM) restriction in these patients, and determine whether ankle ROM restriction can be corrected postoperatively.

METHODS

Eight patients with concurrent LAI and OLT treated with the arthroscopic modified Broström procedure and microfracture were recruited from June 2019 to January 2020. Patients were assessed using outcome scales, static ankle ROM, and a stair descent gait analysis for dynamic ankle ROM, a day prior to surgery and one year postoperatively. Eight healthy subjects were assessed using the same modalities upon recruitment. Operative outcomes and variables during stair descent were documented and compared among the preoperative, postoperative, and healthy groups. A curve analysis, one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping, was performed to compare the dynamic ankle kinematics and muscle activation curves over the entire normalised time series.

RESULTS

The functional outcomes of patients with concurrent LAI and OLT were significantly worse than those of healthy subjects preoperatively, but were partially improved postoperatively. Patients had decreased static and dynamic ROM preoperatively, and static ROM did not significantly increase postoperatively (preoperative, 39.6 ± 11.3; postoperative, 44.9 ± 7.1; healthy, 52.0 ± 4.6; p = 0.021). Patients showed increased dynamic ankle flexion ROM (preoperative, 41.2 ± 11.6; postoperative, 53.6 ± 9.0; healthy, 53.9 ± 3.4; p = 0.012) postoperatively, as well as increased peroneus longus activation (preoperative, 35.8 ± 12.0; postoperative, 55.4 ± 25.1; healthy, 71.9 ± 13.4; p = 0.002) and muscle co-contraction of the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus (preoperative, 69.4 ± 23.4; postoperative, 88.4 ± 9.3; healthy, 66.2 ± 18.1; p = 0.045).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with concurrent LAI and OLT had decreased static and dynamic sagittal ankle ROM and altered neuromuscular activation patterns. The arthroscopic modified Broström procedure and microfracture did not significantly increase the static sagittal ankle ROM. However, the dynamic sagittal ankle ROM, peroneus longus activation and muscle co-contraction of the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus increased postoperatively.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Concomitant osteochondral lesions of the talus affect the stair descent biomechanics of patients with chronic ankle instability: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies on the kinematics of patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) that did not incorporate MRI and arthroscopic assessment could not differentiate between patients with CAI without osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) and patients with CAI and OLT and have thus presented contradictory results.

RESEARCH QUESTION

This study aimed to investigate the kinematic and electromyographic differences between patients with and without OLT.

METHODS

Sixteen subjects with CAI (eight without OLT and eight with OLT confirmed through MRI and arthroscopic assessment) and eight healthy subjects underwent gait analysis in a stair descent setting. The three groups' patient-reported outcomes; ankle joint range of motion in flexion, inversion and rotation; and muscle activation of the peroneus, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius during a gait cycle were analyzed and compared. A curve analysis, namely, one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping, was performed to compare the dynamic ankle kinematics and muscle activation curves over the entire normalized time series.

RESULTS

The patients with and without OLT had no difference in patient-reported outcomes. The maximal ankle plantarflexion of the patients without OLT and the healthy subjects was significantly larger than that of patients with OLT (p = 0.005). The maximal ankle internal rotation of patients without OLT was significantly larger than that of patients with OLT (p = 0.048). The peroneal activation during 0-6% of the gait cycle of patients with OLT was reduced compared with the healthy subjects.

SIGNIFICANCE

Patients with CAI and OLT and patients with CAI without OLT have no difference in patient-reported outcomes, but patients with OLT can be differentiated using the post-initial-contact peroneal activation deficit and the restriction of ankle plantarflexion and internal rotation during stair descent. These variables can be utilized to monitor the function of patients with CAI and their possibility of developing OLT.