Serial Testing of Postural Control After Acute Lateral Ankle Sprain

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Acute lateral ankle sprain is a common injury affecting postural control.
• Understanding the time course of postural recovery is crucial for effective rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in postural control during single-leg stance in the 4 weeks following an acute lateral ankle sprain.
• To compare postural control between injured and uninjured limbs across different planes of movement.

Main Methods:

• A within-subjects design was used with 17 young adults who sustained unilateral acute lateral ankle sprains.
• Measures of center-of-pressure (COP) excursion length, velocity (VEL), and range (RANGE) were recorded during static single-leg stance.
• Data were collected on day 1, week 2, and week 4 post-injury in both frontal and sagittal planes.

Main Results:

• Significant side-by-plane-by-session interactions were found for COP measures.
• Frontal plane postural control (PSL and VEL) was impaired in injured limbs at day 1 and week 2, but not week 4.
• Sagittal plane differences persisted across all testing sessions, while frontal plane RANGE improved by week 4.

Conclusions:

• Postural control deficits are evident in the early stages (day 1 and week 2) after lateral ankle sprain.
• Significant improvements in postural control occur by week 4, indicating functional recovery.
• Consistent improvements in postural control were observed in both injured and uninjured limbs over the 4-week period.