Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Improves Frontal Ankle Motor Control in Individuals With Chronic Ankle
Huifen Zheng1, Fei Tian, Wei Sun
1From the School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China (HZ); Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China (FT); College of Sport and Health, Shandong Sport University, Jinan, China (WS); Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China (LZ); Shanghai Trauma Emergency Center, Shanghai, China (LZ); Orthopedic Intelligent Minimally Invasive Diagnosis & Treatment Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China (LZ); Shanghai Key Lab of Human Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China (WX); and The Key Lab of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China (WX).
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation improved frontal ankle motor control in individuals with chronic ankle instability. This intervention reduced inversion angle and velocity while increasing eversion moment during drop landings.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Chronic ankle instability (CAI) often results in impaired motor control and increased risk of re-injury.
- Frontal plane ankle instability is a key concern in CAI during dynamic activities like drop landing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on frontal ankle motor control in individuals with CAI.
- To assess the impact of a 6-week NMES intervention on ankle kinematics and kinetics during drop landing.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial involving 36 participants with CAI.
- Participants received either NMES or sham stimulation for 6 weeks.
- Data on ankle inversion angle, angular velocity, and eversion moment were collected at baseline and 6 weeks, analyzed using mixed-effects models and ANCOVA.
Main Results:
- The NMES group showed a significant reduction in frontal ankle inversion angle (2.66°) and peak ankle inversion angular velocity (47.41°/sec) compared to the control group.
- A significant increase in peak ankle eversion moment (0.43 Nm/kg) was observed in the NMES group.
- These improvements were noted at the 6-week follow-up.
Conclusions:
- A 6-week NMES intervention targeting the fibularis longus muscle effectively improved frontal ankle motor control in individuals with CAI.
- NMES demonstrated potential as an effective therapeutic modality to enhance ankle movement patterns and reduce re-injury risk in CAI populations.
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