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Abstract

Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) have deficits in postural control and muscle activation. However, little is known about the differences in postural control in individuals with bilateral and unilateral CAI. PURPOSE: To compare postural control difference in individuals with bilateral and unilateral CAI. METHODS: Sixty participants were divided into three groups: 20 individuals with bilateral CAI (bilateral), 20 individuals with unilateral CAI (unilateral), and 20 healthy controls (control). Participants performed 3 trials of single-leg stance tasks for 10 seconds simultaneously. During the single-leg stances, participants were instructed to stand as still as possible on a force plate (1,000Hz, AMTI, Watertown, MA) with hands crossed on the chest, holding the opposite leg at approximately 45° of knee flexion and 20° of hip flexion. Single-leg stance data was consolidated using Matlab (MathWorks 2021a, Natick, MA) software. Raw force data were filtered with a 4th-order low-pass Butterworth filter with a cutoff frequency of 4 Hz. The center of pressure (COP) velocity and range were independently estimated for the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions, representing x and y, respectively. We interpreted lower COP velocity and range as signs of improved postural control. The entire time of travel of 10 seconds between each data point defined the extent of COP excursion. The velocity of COP was defined by dividing the total COP excursion by 10 seconds. Static postural control was analyzed by one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The bilateral group showed worse static postural control in COP ML velocity and COP AP velocity compared to the unilateral (0.91 ± 0.20 vs. 0.70 ± 0.18, p<0.01 and 0.89 ± 0.04 vs. 0.70 ± 0.16, p<0.01) and control (0.91 ± 0.20 vs. 0.72 ± 0.27, p<0.01 and 0.89 ± 0.04 vs. 0.72 ± 0.16, p<0.01) groups. However, the unilateral group showed similar static postural control with the control group. CONCLUSION: Individuals with bilateral CAI show worse static postural control than those with unilateral CAI and healthy controls, indicating differences in how the central nervous system processes sensorimotor function. Therefore, clinicians may need targeted intervention for the greater deficits in individuals with bilateral CAI.

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