Lower-Extremity Motor Synergies in Individuals With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Motor Control
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Ankle sprains are common injuries, often leading to chronic ankle instability.
• Movement adaptations are theorized to help individuals avoid chronic ankle instability.
• Limited research exists on biomechanical motor synergy adaptations post-ankle sprain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the support moment synergy characteristics in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI), ankle sprain copers, and healthy controls.
• To compare lower-extremity kinetics and moment of force pattern variability during walking between these groups.

Main Methods:

• Participants: 48 individuals (CAI group, copers, healthy controls).
• Assessment: Lower-extremity kinetics and moment of force pattern variability during the stance phase of walking.
• Analysis: Comparison of support moment, hip extensor moment, ankle plantarflexion moment, and motor variability between groups.

Main Results:

• Copers demonstrated reduced support moments compared to the CAI group and healthy individuals during specific walking phases.
• Copers exhibited reduced hip extensor and ankle plantarflexion moments compared to both other groups.
• Increased support moment and knee moment variability was observed in copers compared to the CAI group.

Conclusions:

• Reduced joint moments in copers may represent an adaptive strategy to minimize stress on the injured ankle.
• Enhanced motor variability in copers suggests a more adaptable motor synergy, potentially preventing chronic ankle instability.