Smartphone Proprioception for Ankle Navigation (SPAN): Reliability and Effect of Position Exposure Time

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Motor Control
• Sports Science

Background:

• Ankle proprioception is crucial for balance and injury prevention.
• Assessing ankle proprioception typically requires specialized equipment.
• Understanding the impact of testing parameters on reliability is essential for clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of different joint position exposure times (PETs) on ankle discriminative acuity, performance, and measurement consistency.
• To evaluate the reliability of the Smartphone Proprioception for Ankle Navigation (SPAN) device across various PETs.
• To determine the optimal PET for reliable ankle proprioception assessment using SPAN.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-four participants were tested using the novel Smartphone Proprioception for Ankle Navigation (SPAN) device.
• Four different PETs (0.25s, 0.5s, 0.75s, 1s) were administered in a random sequence.
• Participants were re-tested within one week to assess measurement consistency and reliability (ICC, SEM, MDC90).

Main Results:

• Ankle proprioception performance improved with prolonged PET, with the non-dominant limb showing better performance than the dominant limb.
• A PET of 0.25s demonstrated good to excellent reliability (ICC = 0.897), while longer PETs showed poor to moderate reliability.
• Prolonged PETs improved performance but amplified inter-occasion variability, potentially due to increased cognitive load.

Conclusions:

• A PET of 0.25s provides the most reliable assessment of ankle proprioception using the SPAN device.
• While longer PETs enhance ankle proprioceptive performance, they reduce measurement consistency.
• The SPAN device presents a cost-effective and accessible tool for clinical assessment of ankle proprioception.