Performance in Static, Dynamic, and Clinical Tests of Postural Control in Individuals with Recurrent Ankle Sprains

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyn Nakagawa ◽  
Mark Hoffman

Objective:To evaluate postural control in individuals with recurrent ankle sprains with static, dynamic, and clinical balance tests and to examine the relationships between performances in each of these tests.Design:Postural control was evaluated with 3 different balance tests in individuals with and without recurrent ankle sprains.Participants:19 volunteers with recurrent ankle sprains and 19 uninjured control subjects.Interventions:None.Setting:University sports-medicine research laboratory.Main Outcome Measures:Total excursion of the center of pressure (COP) was calculated for the static and dynamic balance tests. Total reach distance was measured for the Star Excursion Balance Test.Results:Subjects with recurrent ankle sprains demonstrated significantly greater excursion of the COP in both the static and dynamic balance tests. Correlations between performances in all tests were very low.Conclusions:Recurrent ankle sprains might be associated with reduced postural control as demonstrated by decreased performance in static and dynamic balance tests.

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik A. Wikstrom

Context:Interactive gaming systems have the potential to help rehabilitate patients with musculoskeletal conditions. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board, which is part of the Wii Fit game, could be an effective tool to monitor progress during rehabilitation because the board and game can provide objective measures of balance. However, the validity and reliability of Wii Fit balance scores remain unknown.Objective:To determine the concurrent validity of balance scores produced by the Wii Fit game and the intrasession and intersession reliability of Wii Fit balance scores.Design:Descriptive laboratory study.Setting:Sports medicine research laboratory.Patients or Other Participants:Forty-five recreationally active participants (age  =  27.0 ± 9.8 years, height  =  170.9 ± 9.2 cm, mass  =  72.4 ± 11.8 kg) with a heterogeneous history of lower extremity injury.Intervention(s):Participants completed a single-limb–stance task on a force plate and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) during the first test session. Twelve Wii Fit balance activities were completed during 2 test sessions separated by 1 week.Main Outcome Measure(s):Postural sway in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions and the AP, ML, and resultant center-of-pressure (COP) excursions were calculated from the single-limb stance. The normalized reach distance was recorded for the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions of the SEBT. Wii Fit balance scores that the game software generated also were recorded.Results:All 96 of the calculated correlation coefficients among Wii Fit activity outcomes and established balance outcomes were interpreted as poor (r < 0.50). Intrasession reliability for Wii Fit balance activity scores ranged from good (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]  =  0.80) to poor (ICC  =  0.39), with 8 activities having poor intrasession reliability. Similarly, 11 of the 12 Wii Fit balance activity scores demonstrated poor intersession reliability, with scores ranging from fair (ICC  =  0.74) to poor (ICC  =  0.29).Conclusions:Wii Fit balance activity scores had poor concurrent validity relative to COP outcomes and SEBT reach distances. In addition, the included Wii Fit balance activity scores generally had poor intrasession and intersession reliability.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Alyssa Dittmer ◽  
David Tomchuk ◽  
David R. Fontenot

Context: Rounded shoulder posture is a common problem in the athletic population. Recently Kinesio tape has been utilized to improve balance, proprioception, and posture. However, the literature has been unable to provide definitive answers on the efficacy of Kinesio tape use. Objective: To determine the immediate effect of the limb rotational Kinesio tape application on the dynamic balance and proprioception of the shoulder measured by the Y-Balance Upper Quarter Test (YBT-UQ) in male collegiate athletes. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory.Participants: Nineteen healthy male collegiate National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics athletes (including rodeo, baseball, football, and soccer) with a mean age of 19.8 (1.4) years. Interventions: Subjects were randomized into Kinesio tape and non-Kinesio tape groups. The limb rotational Kinesio tape application was applied to the Kinesio tape group, while the non-Kinesio tape group received no intervention. Each group performed the YBT-UQ, which requires reaching in 3 directions in a push-up position, before and after the randomized intervention on a single day. Main Outcome Measures: The variables of interest included the maximum reach distance in each of the 3 directions and the composite score for both trials between the Kinesio tape and non-Kinesio tape groups. Each score was normalized against the subject’s limb length. Results: No statistically significant improvements in any YBT-UQ scores were observed following either the Kinesio tape or non-Kinesio tape intervention. Conclusions: Applying the limb rotational Kinesio tape technique did not improve immediate YBT-UQ scores in a male collegiate athletic population with rounded shoulder posture. The use of Kinesio tape to improve immediate closed kinetic chain function in male collegiate athletes with rounded shoulder posture cannot be supported.


2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren C. Olmsted ◽  
Jay Hertel

Context:The effects of custom-molded foot orthotics on neuromuscular processes are not clearly understood.Objective:To examine these effects on postural control in subjects with different foot types.Design:Between-groups, repeated-measures design.Setting:Athletic training laboratory.Subjects:30 healthy subjects assigned to groups by foot type: planus (n = 11), rectus (n = 12), or cavus (n = 7).Interventions:Custom-fit semirigid orthotics.Main Outcome Measures:Static postural control was measured on a force plate. Dynamic postural control was measured using the Star Excursion Balance Test. Both measurements were assessed with and without orthotics at baseline and 2 weeks later.Results:For static postural control, a significant condition-by-group interaction was found. Subjects with cavus feet had a decreased center-of-pressure velocity while wearing orthotics. For dynamic postural control, a significant condition-by-direction-by-group interaction was found. Subjects with cavus feet had increased reach distances in 3 of 8 directions while wearing orthotics.Conclusions:Custom orthotics were associated with some improvements in static and dynamic postural control in subjects with cavus feet.


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott K. Lynn ◽  
Ricardo A. Padilla ◽  
Kavin K.W. Tsang

Context:Proper functioning of the intrinsic foot musculature (IFM) is essential in maintaining the integrity of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA). Improper functioning of the IFM leads to excessive pronation of the foot, which has been linked to various pathologies. Therefore, training the IFM to avoid excessive pronation may help prevent some of these pathologies; however, it is not clear how to train these muscles optimally.Objective:To investigate the effects of 2 different types of IFM training on the height of the MLA and static- and dynamic-balance task performance.Design:Randomized controlled trial, repeated-measures mixed-model design.Setting:University biomechanics laboratory for testing and a home-based training program.Participants:24 healthy, university-age volunteers (3 groups of 8) with no history of major lower limb pathology or balance impairment.Interventions:One experimental group performed 4 wk of the short-foot exercise (SFE) and the other performed 4 wk of the towel-curl exercise (TCE). Participants were asked to perform 100 repetitions of their exercise per day.Main Outcome Measures:Navicular height during weight bearing, the total range of movement of the center of pressure (COP) in the mediolateral (ML) direction for a static-balance test and a dynamic-balance test.Results:There were no differences in the navicular height or static-balance tests. For the dynamic-balance test, all groups decreased the ML COP movement on the dominant limb by a small amount (~5 mm); however, the SFE group was able to decrease COP movement much more than the TCE group in the nondominant limb.Conclusions:The SFE appeared to train the IFM more effectively than the TCE; however, there were differing results between the dominant and nondominant legs. These imbalances need to be taken into consideration by clinicians.


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia J. Wright ◽  
Brent L. Arnold

Context:Force sense (FS), the proprioceptive ability to detect muscle-force generation, has been shown to be impaired in individuals with functional ankle instability (FAI). Fatigue can also impair FS in healthy individuals, but it is unknown how fatigue affects FS in individuals with FAI.Objective:To assess the effect of fatigue on ankle-eversion force-sense error in individuals with and without FAI. Design: Case control with repeated measures.Setting:Sports medicine research laboratory.Participants:32 individuals with FAI and 32 individuals with no ankle sprains or instability in their lifetime. FAI subjects had a history of ≥1 lateral ankle sprain and giving-way ≥1 episode per month.Interventions:Three eversion FS trials were captured per load (10% and 30% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction) using a load cell before and after a concentric eversion fatigue protocol.Main Outcome Measures:Trial error was the difference between the target and reproduction forces. Constant error (CE), absolute error (AE), and variable error (VE) were calculated from 3 trial errors. A Group × Fatigue × Load repeated-measures ANOVA was performed for each error.Results:There were no significant 3-way interactions or 2-way interactions involving group (all P > .05). CE and AE had a significant 2-way interaction between load and fatigue (CE: F1,62 = 8.704, P = .004; AE: F1,62 = 4.024, P = .049), and VE had a significant main effect for fatigue (F1,62 = 5.130, P = .027), all of which indicated increased FS error with fatigue at 10% load. However, at 30% load only VE increased with fatigue. The FAI group had greater error as measured by AE (F1,62 = 4.571, P = .036) but not CE or VE (P > .05).Conclusions:Greater AE indicates that FAI individuals are less accurate in their force production. Fatigue impaired force sense in all subjects equally. These deficits provide evidence of impaired proprioception with fatigue and in individuals with FAI.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 702-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hadadi ◽  
Faezeh Abbasi

Background: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is associated with postural control impairment. Orthotic devices are routinely used to improve postural control of CAI patients and prevent recurrence of ankle sprain. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effect of combined mechanism ankle support (CMAS) with soft ankle support (SAS) and custom-molded foot orthosis (CFO) on static and dynamic postural control in patients with CAI. Methods: Twenty-two patients with CAI and 22 matched healthy subjects were recruited. The participants were evaluated in four orthotic conditions (without orthosis and with the CMAS, SAS, and CFO). Static balance was investigated in single-limb stance on the force platform, and dynamic balance was assessed using the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). Results: Statistically significant differences were found for the main effects of the groups in all center of pressure (COP) parameters and reach distances in medial (M), anteromedial (AM), and posteromedial (PM) directions of the SEBT ( P < .05). The main effect of the orthotics for all evaluated parameters, except reach distance in the PM direction, was statistically different. All COP parameters were significantly lower with the CMAS compared with other orthotic conditions in CAI patients. Also, the higher reach distances with the CMAS were obtained in the AM and M directions of the SEBT. Conclusion: The CMAS improved impaired postural control in static and dynamic stability tests, but no similar effect was found for SAS and CFO. This result may have implications for the best bracing for CAI. Level of Evidence: Level II, comparative study.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
TH Kruger ◽  
MF Coetsee ◽  
S Davies

Objective. To investigate the effects of prophylactic knee bracing on proprioceptive performance among first division rugby union players during a 2-minute Wilknox Quad Time Logger balancing task. Design. Each subject performed a 2-minute balancing task on the Wilknox Quad Time Logger. Test order, left or right leg, and the sequence of brace or non-brace, were randomised. Subjects were placed on the balancing board and instructed to balance for 2 minutes. Subjects performed 6 trials. Two days elapsed between testing. Each testing day involved 2 trials, 1 trial with and 1 without the prophylactic knee brace. Settings. Testing took place at the biokinetics laboratory of the University of Zululand. Subjects. Thirty playing (not injured) male rugby players, aged 22 - 30 years, participating in the KwaZulu-Natal club championships (2000). Outcome measure. Performance was measured in terms of time that balance was lost in a dynamic balance test. Peak proprioception was the best balancing performance recorded, and average proprioception the average balancing performance for all trials. Results. The findings showed an improvement of 17.9% in average proprioception times and 19.1% in peak proprioception times with the application of a prophylactic knee brace (p < 0.01). Conclusion. Prophylactic knee bracing improved proprioception performance of playing (uninjured) rugby players, and therefore may be responsible for the improvement in knee injury statistics reported in some studies on knee bracing. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol.16(1) 2004: 33-36


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 645-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wagner Oliveira Batista ◽  
Edmundo de Drummond Alves Junior ◽  
Flávia Porto ◽  
Fabio Dutra Pereira ◽  
Rosimere Ferreira Santana ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: to ascertain the influence of the length of institutionalization on older adults' balance and risk of falls.METHOD: to evaluate the risk of falls, the Berg Balance Scale and the Timed Get Up and Go test were used; and for measuring postural balance, static stabilometry was used, with acquisition of the elliptical area of 95% and mean velocities on the x and y axes of center of pressure displacement. Parametric and nonparametric measures of association and comparison (α<0.05) were used.RESULTS: there was no significant correlation between the length of institutionalization and the tests for evaluation of risk of falling, neither was there difference between groups and within subgroups, stratified by length of institutionalization and age. In the stabilometric measurements, there was a negative correlation between the parameters analyzed and the length of institutionalization, and difference between groups and within subgroups.CONCLUSION: this study's results point to the difficulty of undertaking postural control tasks, showing a leveling below the clinical tests' reference scores. In the stabilometric behavior, one should note the reduction of the parameters as the length of institutionalization increases, contradicting the assumptions. This study's results offer support for the development of a multi-professional model for intervention with the postural control and balance of older adults living in homes for the aged.


Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan De la Torre ◽  
Javier Marin ◽  
Marco Polo ◽  
José J. Marín

Balance disorders have a high prevalence among elderly people in developed countries, and falls resulting from balance disorders involve high healthcare costs. Therefore, tools and indicators are necessary to assess the response to treatments. Therefore, the aim of this study is to detect relevant changes through minimal detectable change (MDC) values in patients with balance disorders, specifically with vertigo. A test-retest of a static and dynamic balance test was conducted on 34 healthy young volunteer subjects using a portable stabilometric platform. Afterwards, in order to show the MDC applicability, eight patients diagnosed with balance disorders characterized by vertigo of vestibular origin performed the balance test before and after a treatment, contrasting the results with the assessment by a specialist physician. The balance test consisted of four tasks from the Romberg test for static balance control, assessing dynamic postural balance through the limits of stability (LOS). The results obtained in the test-retest show the reproducibility of the system as being similar to or better than those found in the literature. Regarding the static balance variables with the lowest MDC value, we highlight the average velocity of the center of pressure (COP) in all tasks and the root mean square (RMS), the area, and the mediolateral displacement in soft surface, with eyes closed. In LOS, all COP limits and the average speed of the COP and RMS were highlighted. Of the eight patients assessed, an agreement between the specialist physician and the balance test results exists in six of them, and for two of the patients, the specialist physician reported no progression, whereas the balance test showed worsening. Patients showed changes that exceeded the MDC values, and these changes were correlated with the results reported by the specialist physician. We conclude that (at least for these eight patients) certain variables were sufficiently sensitive to detect changes linked to balance progression. This is intended to improve decision making and individualized patient monitoring.


Author(s):  
Sergio Sebastia-Amat ◽  
Luca Paolo Ardigò ◽  
Jose Manuel Jimenez-Olmedo ◽  
Basilio Pueo ◽  
Alfonso Penichet-Tomas

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-week-long balance training program on the postural control of elite male beach volleyball players and the effect on balance when swapping to specific sports training in the sand in the following 12 weeks. Six elite players were tested before and after the balance training program and also 12 weeks after the balance training had finished. To this aim, a pressure platform was used to collect the following center of pressure parameters: path length, speed, mean position, and root-mean-square amplitude in the medial-lateral and anteroposterior planes. Romberg quotients for the center of pressure parameters were also calculated. The results of the present study showed better static postural control after specific balance training: smaller path length and speed under open eyes condition in dominant (p = 0.015; p = 0.009, respectively) and non-dominant monopedal stances (p = 0.005; p = 0.004, respectively). Contrastingly, 12 weeks after the balance training program, the path length and speed values under open eyes condition in bipedal stance increased significantly (p = 0.045; p = 0.004, respectively) for sand training. According to our results, balance training is effective to achieve positive balance test scores. It is speculated, and yet to be proven, that sand training could be effective to improve dynamic and open eyes postural control during beach volleyball practice. In beach volleyball players, a balance training program is effective to develop static balance but the effect of ecological sand training on dynamic performance deserves specific investigation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document