Ph.D. students Yuki Sugimoto and Brittany Holland presented at the International Ankle Symposium on September 15, 2017.
Yuki’s Information: The title of the presentation was “Smartphone Technology for Assessing Thigh Motion Deficits in Participants with a History of Ankle Sprains.”
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in physically active population and intercollegiate athletes. In fact, about 23,000 ankle sprains take place daily in the US and of which 74% of individuals who sustain an initial ankle sprain persist with at least one recurrent symptoms, such as perceived instability/giving way sensation at the ankle, and experience repetitive bouts of ankle sprains. Recurrent ankle sprains can lead to long-term consequences including the development of chronic ankle instability (CAI), limited range-of-motion at the ankle, and poor balance. CAI is a second leading cause of post-traumatic ankle osteoarthritis, and the individuals who sustain CAI often report a decrease in quality of life. However, the definite risk factor of recurrent ankle sprains is still unknown. Recently gait has been studied in CAI population, and researchers have established that ankle sprains negatively affect hip muscle activation, strength, and coordination in laboratory settings. However, few clinical applications are used to assess potential altered movement patterns in individuals with a history of ankle sprains and/or CAI. Thus, we proposed our customized smartphone app technology to identify thigh movement pattern deficiencies during the stepping-in-place task at the International Ankle Symposium.
Brittany’s Information: On Friday I presented on the “prevalence of ankle sprain and chronic ankle instability among rural high school adolescents” at the International Ankle Symposium. The research presented was from my Master’s thesis work at Appalachian State University, which also included a physical activity piece.
Ankle sprains have been seen as a minute or non-severe injury however recent research has shown that about a quarter of people that sustain an ankle injury eventually develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). CAI includes feelings of giving way, twisting or rolling of the ankle, and reoccurring ankle sprains as well as limited functional ankle mobility. CAI further more has been reported to cause a decrease in physical activity. Additionally ankle sprains and reoccurring ankle injuries as well as follow up care can summate to be a healthcare burden. Previous prevalence rates have been conducted on adult populations such as at the United State Military Academy and in Australia, therefore leaving a gap in the research on prevalence of ankle sprains and CAI among adolescents. The findings of the research I presented discover that of the participants 58% of females and 56% of males reported a history of ankle sprain, 30% of the participants reported suffering from CAI, and of those 1 year post ankle injury 78% of participants had reported CAI.