A performance test protocol and scoring scale for the evaluation of ankle injuries

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Ankle injuries are common, necessitating reliable methods for assessing functional recovery.
• Existing evaluation methods for ankle injuries lack standardization, impacting research and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a standardized test protocol and scoring scale for evaluating ankle injuries.
• To establish a reliable tool for assessing functional recovery and patient outcomes post-ankle injury.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 11 functional ankle tests, questionnaires, and clinical examinations.
• Developed a protocol including subjective questions, range of motion, laxity, functional stability, muscle strength, and balance tests.
• Tested reproducibility in 100 uninjured individuals and validity in 148 patients with Grade III lateral ligament ankle injuries.

Main Results:

• The developed protocol demonstrated excellent reproducibility in healthy individuals.
• Each component of the test significantly differentiated between healthy controls and patients with varying recovery levels.
• The total test score showed significant correlations with isokinetic strength, subjective recovery, and functional assessment.

Conclusions:

• The presented standardized test protocol and scoring scale are recommended for evaluating functional recovery after ankle injuries.
• This validated tool can aid in objective assessment and comparison of outcomes in research and clinical settings.