Relationship between the abdominal wall and chronic ankle instability

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Anatomy

Background:

• Chronic ankle instability is prevalent in handball, a high-injury Olympic sport.
• The core system's role in lower limb biomechanics and injury risk is established, but its specific impact on chronic ankle instability is under-researched.
• The active subsystem of the core, particularly abdominal wall muscles, may influence ankle stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare abdominal wall morphology and function in young handball players with and without chronic ankle instability.
• To investigate potential differences in rectus abdominis, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, and inter-recti distance between these groups.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 100 young handball players (50 male, 50 female).
• Participants were divided into a chronic ankle instability group (n=50) and a healthy control group (n=50).
• Ultrasound examination was used to assess abdominal muscle morphology (thickness) and function, including inter-recti distance at rest.

Main Results:

• Athletes with chronic ankle instability exhibited greater resting thickness in the right rectus abdominis, left rectus abdominis, left internal oblique, and left transversus abdominis compared to controls.
• A significantly lower inter-recti distance was observed in the chronic ankle instability group (1.20 cm) versus the control group (1.40 cm).
• Significant sex differences were noted, with male handball players generally having larger resting muscle sizes than females, but no functional differences were found between groups.

Conclusions:

• Young handball players with chronic ankle instability present with altered abdominal muscle morphology, specifically increased resting thickness of certain abdominal muscles and a reduced inter-recti distance.
• These morphological changes in the core's active subsystem may be associated with chronic ankle instability in this athletic population.
• Further research is warranted to explore the functional implications and potential therapeutic interventions targeting core strength and stability in handball players prone to ankle injuries.