Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 15, 2025
Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
Published on: September 18, 2020
Virtual Reality-Based Assessment of Static Postural Control Among Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability, Copers,
Minsub Oh1, Hyunwook Lee2, Seunguk Han3
1Department of Exercise Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
Context:
Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) have deficits in postural control. Previous studies assessing postural control have been limited by minimal environmental perturbations. The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of virtual reality (VR)-based perturbation on static postural control among CAI individuals, copers, and healthy controls.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Methods:
A total of 60 participants (20 individuals with CAI, 20 copers, and 20 healthy controls) performed 3 trials of a single-leg stance for 10 seconds with eyes open and eyes closed (EC) and VR. Static postural control was analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance.
Results:
CAI individuals showed worse static postural control in the center of the pressure mediolateral range and ellipse area under VR than copers and healthy controls. Copers showed better static postural control in the center of pressure mediolateral range and in the ellipse area under VR and EC than individuals with CAI and healthy controls. Both VR and EC resulted in worse static postural control than eyes open across the 3 groups. However, there were no differences in static postural control between VR and EC within each group. CAI individuals demonstrated worse static postural control under VR than copers and healthy controls, whereas copers exhibited better postural stability under VR than CAI individuals and healthy controls.
Conclusions:
VR may serve as a means for understanding differences in postural control mechanisms in individuals with CAI and copers.
