Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
Published on: September 18, 2020
Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on Postural Stability and Lower-Limb Biomechanical Characteristics in Patients With
Chen Zhang1, Dunbing Huang2, Zhonghua Lin3,4
1Rehabilitation Medicine Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
Objectives:
To evaluate the effects of a 12-week Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) program on ankle instability/function, pain, and gait/balance performance in patients with functional ankle instability (FAI).
Design:
Prospective, single-blind randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Clinical gait analysis laboratory with community-based recruitment.
Participants:
Fifty patients with FAI were randomly divided 1:1 to a TCC group (n=25; age 65.44±8.75y; 18 women/7 men) or a control group (n=25; age 67.08±4.76y; 22 women/3 men). By eligibility criteria, all participants had experienced at least 1 severe ankle sprain within the prior year and had recurrent episodes of giving way/instability in the prior year.
Interventions:
The TCC group completed supervised simplified 24-form TCC training 3 sessions/wk for 12 weeks; controls received structured health education once every 4 weeks for 12 weeks.
Main Outcome Measures:
The primary outcome was the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT). Secondary outcomes included the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score, pain intensity (visual analog scale [VAS]), 3-dimensional gait spatiotemporal and sagittal kinematic parameters, and postural control (Huber360 static balance metrics and the Y-Balance Test [YBT]).
Results:
After 12 weeks, CAIT increased by 10.32 points in the TCC group (14.48±5.53 to 24.80±4.21) compared with 2.84 points in the control group (15.16±5.98 to 18.00±5.05), with a significant between-group difference (P<.01), exceeding the CAIT minimal clinically important difference (MCID) (≥3 points); American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score and VAS also improved more with TCC (all P<.05), with changes within/above published AOFAS MCID estimates (7.9-30.2 points) and exceeding the commonly used VAS MCID (∼1.4 cm). The TCC group also demonstrated improvements in step width, selected sagittal-plane hip/ankle kinematics, and Y-Balance Test performance compared with controls (P<.05).
Conclusions:
A 12-week TCC program may provide clinically meaningful improvements in ankle stability and function, reduce pain, and enhance gait and balance performance in patients with FAI.
