Ice application effects on peroneus longus and tibialis anterior motoneuron excitability in subjects with functional ankle instability.

Evidence that focally cooling the ankle joint facilitates soleus and peroneus longus spinal reflex activity in healthy subjects has been reported. This response has been confirmed in individuals with a history of joint pathology for the soleus but not in the peroneus longus and tibialis anterior. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ankle cooling on isokinetic eversion and inversion torque and in peroneus longus, tibialis anterior H-reflex (H(max):M(max)) in subjects with functional ankle instability (FAI). Twenty-four college aged subjects volunteered for this study. Peroneus longus and tibialis anterior H(max):M(max), and concentric eversion and inversion torque were recorded prior to and following each session. This protocol was used to compare FAI to healthy ankle group. There were no significant differences between groups. There were weak and no significant relationships between the corresponding muscles motoneuron excitability and their peak torque measurements. Ice application to the joint did not alter the peroneus longus or the tibialis anterior.