Characteristics and predictors of muscle strength deficit in mechanical ankle instability

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Feng Zhao¹  Ying-fang Ao¹  Xing Xie¹  Chen Jiao¹  Xin Miao¹  Zhi-yu Zhang¹  Dong Jiang¹  Yue-lin Hu¹  Zong-chen Hou¹  Qin-wei Guo¹  Yan-bin Pi¹  Nan Li² 

[1] Institute of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing Key Laboratory of Sports Injuries, No.49 North Garden Road, Haidian, 100191, Beijing, China;Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 North Garden Road, Haidian, 100191, Beijing, China;

关键词: Chronic ankle instability;    Muscle strength deficit;    Sports rehabilitation;    Limb symmetry index;    Predictors;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12891-020-03754-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

PurposeMuscle strength training is a common strategy for treating chronic ankle instability (CAI), but the effectiveness decreases for mechanical ankle instability (MAI) patients with initial severe ligament injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics and the potential predictors of muscle strength deficit in MAI patients, with a view to proposing a more targeted muscle strength training strategy.MethodsA total of 220 MAI patients with confirmed initial lateral ankle ligament rupture and a postinjury duration of more than 6 months were included. All patients underwent a Biodex isokinetic examination of the ankle joints of both the affected and unaffected sides. Then, the associations between the limb symmetry index (LSI) (mean peak torque of the injury side divided by that of the healthy side) and the patients’ sex, body mass index, postinjury duration, presence of intra-articular osteochondral lesions, presence of osteophytes and ligament injury pattern (i.e., isolated anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) injury or combined with calcaneofibular ligament injury) were analysed.ResultsThere was significantly weaker muscle strength on the affected side than on the unaffected side in all directions (p < 0.05). The LSI in plantar flexion was significantly lower than that in dorsiflexion at 60°/s (0.87 vs 0.98, p < 0.001). A lower LSI in eversion was significantly correlated with female sex (0.82 vs 0.94, p = 0.016) and isolated ATFL injury (0.86 vs 0.95, p = 0.012). No other factors were found to be associated with muscle strength deficits.ConclusionMAI patients showed significant muscle strength deficits on the affected side, especially in plantar flexion. There were greater strength deficits in eversion in females and individuals with an isolated ATFL injury. Thus, a muscle strength training programme for MAI patients was proposed that focused more on plantar flexion training and eversion training for females and those with an isolated ATFL injury.

【 授权许可】

CC BY