Talar positional fault in persons with chronic ankle instability.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common condition affecting many athletes and individuals.
• Understanding the biomechanical factors contributing to CAI is crucial for effective treatment and rehabilitation.
• Sagittal plane talar positioning has been suggested as a potential factor in ankle instability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in sagittal plane talar position between individuals with CAI and uninjured controls.
• To assess the reliability of using lateral ankle radiographs to measure talar position.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind, case-control study was conducted with 48 university students (24 with CAI, 24 controls).
• Non-weight-bearing lateral radiographs of the ankle were taken in a standardized position.
• Sagittal plane talar position was measured as the anterior-posterior distance between the tibia and talar dome.

Main Results:

• The involved limb in individuals with CAI showed a significantly more anterior talar position compared to their uninvolved limb (P=.03).
• The involved CAI limb also demonstrated a significantly greater anterior talar position than the matched control limb (P<.01).
• No significant differences were found between the uninvolved CAI limb and the control limb (P=.57).

Conclusions:

• Anterior talar positional fault is a characteristic finding in the involved limb of individuals with CAI.
• This radiographic measurement technique for talar position exhibits excellent intratester and intertester reliability.