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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
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Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
Published on: September 18, 2020
Interplay Between Postural Stability and Coordination in Female Soccer Players With Chronic Ankle Instability
1Graduate School of Welfare and Health Science, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
Motor Control
|June 18, 2026
Summary
Female soccer players with chronic ankle instability (CAI) show poorer postural control and less flexible movement coordination. This may increase their risk of re-injury due to an impaired ability to adapt control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Sports Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Chronic ankle instability (CAI) affects a significant number of athletes, particularly female soccer players.
- CAI is associated with impaired sensorimotor control, potentially increasing the risk of recurrent ankle sprains.
- Understanding the interplay between postural control and limb coordination in CAI is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of CAI on postural control after landing from an unanticipated task.
- To examine shank-rearfoot coordination during sport-specific side-cutting movements in female soccer players with CAI.
- To explore the relationship between postural stability and coordination patterns in CAI.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of postural control (using Lyapunov exponent) and shank-rearfoot coordination (using vector-coding) between female soccer players with CAI (n=10) and controls (n=8).
- Participants performed single-leg stances and side-cutting maneuvers following a jump-landing task.
- Analysis focused on mediolateral center of pressure (COP) dynamics and coordination patterns during the deceleration phase of cutting.
Main Results:
- The CAI group demonstrated significantly reduced postural control during single-leg stance (lower Lyapunov exponent).
- CAI players exhibited altered shank-rearfoot coordination during side-cutting, with an increased proportion of in-phase movement with distal dominance during deceleration.
- Within the CAI group, poorer postural stability correlated with less adaptable coordination strategies.
Conclusions:
- Female soccer players with CAI exhibit deficits in adapting postural control and coordinating limb movements during dynamic tasks.
- Altered coordination patterns in CAI may reflect a reduced capacity to flexibly adjust motor control strategies.
- These findings suggest a potential link between impaired postural stability, altered coordination, and the heightened risk of recurrent ankle sprains in athletes with CAI.
