Biomechanics and Corrective Exercise Laboratory, Department of Biomechanics and Sport Injury, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Kharazmi University, Mirdamad Blvd., Hesari St, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
Sci Rep. 2022 Mar 10;12(1):3928. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-07975-x.
After an initial ankle sprain, a relevant number of participants develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). Compensatory strategies in patients with CAI may change the inter-limb symmetry needed for absorbing movement-related forces. Accordingly, an increased risk of injury can occur. The present study aimed to compare the inter-limb asymmetry of kinetic and electromyography between individuals with CAI and without a history of an ankle sprain (Non-CAI) during walking. In this cross-sectional study, fifty-six athletes (28 CAI; 28 Non-CAI) participated. Participants walked at a comfortable pace over level ground while vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and muscle activity of the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, medial gastrocnemius, and gluteus medius were recorded. Inter-limb asymmetry during walking was calculated for each of the variables. Patients with CAI exhibited a greater inter-limb asymmetry of the first peak of vGRF, time to peak vGRF, and loading rate (P < 0.001), as well as presenting a greater inter-limb asymmetry of peroneus longus activity (contact phase) (P = 0.003) and gluteus medius activity (midstance/propulsion phase) (P = 0.010) compared to the Non-CAI group. No other differences in vGRF or muscles activity were observed between the groups. Our findings indicate that patients with CAI walk with greater inter-limb asymmetry in vGRF and muscle activity in different phases of the gait cycle compared to Non-CAI group. Our results could inform future studies on gait training aimed to reduce asymmetry during walking in patients with CAI.
初次踝关节扭伤后，相当一部分患者会发展为慢性踝关节不稳定（CAI）。CAI 患者可能会采取代偿策略，从而改变吸收与运动相关力量所需的肢体对称性。因此，受伤的风险可能会增加。本研究旨在比较 CAI 患者与无踝关节扭伤史的非 CAI 患者在行走时的动力学和肌电图的肢体对称性。在这项横断面研究中，共有 56 名运动员（28 名 CAI；28 名非 CAI）参与。参与者在水平地面上以舒适的速度行走，同时记录垂直地面反作用力（vGRF）和胫骨前肌、腓骨长肌、内侧腓肠肌和臀中肌的肌肉活动。计算了行走时每个变量的肢体对称性。CAI 患者的 vGRF 第一峰值、达到 vGRF 峰值时间和加载率的肢体对称性较大（P<0.001），腓骨长肌活动（接触阶段）（P=0.003）和臀中肌活动（中间支撑/推进阶段）（P=0.010）的肢体对称性也较大。两组间 vGRF 或肌肉活动无其他差异。我们的研究结果表明，与非 CAI 组相比，CAI 患者在行走时 vGRF 和肌肉活动在步态周期的不同阶段存在更大的肢体对称性。我们的结果可以为旨在减少 CAI 患者行走时不对称性的步态训练的未来研究提供信息。
