Influence of Mirror Feedback and Ankle Joint Laxity on Dynamic Balance in Trained Ballet Dancers

Enhanced understanding of dynamic postural stability (DPS) has the potential to curtail lower extremity injuries with important implications for athletic and scientific populations. The ability to stabilize following dynamic tasks such as jumping is dependent on several intrinsic factors, including ligamentous laxity, proprioception, and neuromuscular control. Ballet dancers are a unique group of aesthetic performers who frequently must perform unipedal balance during dynamic tasks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of mirror feedback and ankle laxity on dynamic balance and muscle activation in 15 trained ballet dancers during a hop-to-stabilization task with and without mirror feedback. Anteroposterior and inversion-eversion ankle laxity was measured with an arthrometer. Surface electromyography was then applied to the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, and lateral gastrocnemius muscles to record activity during the task in question. The main finding was that time-to-stabilization during the task was unaffected by mirror feedback (F = 0.105, p = 0.900; mirror = 3.31 ± 0.10 s; no-mirror = 3.37 ± 0.12 s). Greater antero-posterior laxity, however, negatively affected DPS with (r = 0.655, p = 0.008) and without the mirror (r = 0.858, p < 0.001). These results suggest that visual feedback does not affect performance during a DPS task; however, increased ankle laxity may influence balancing ability in ballet dancers.