Title: Reducing Ankle Movement Has No Effect On Postural Control Dynamics
Abstract: PURPOSE: To determine the effect of restricting movement about the ankle on the dynamics of postural control. METHODS: 19 young adults completed the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) in the Neurocom Equitest System to index postural control while either barefoot, ankles taped or wearing an ankle brace. The SOT consists of six different conditions which incrementally challenge the underlying postural control conditions. Center of pressure excursion in the anterior-posture (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) directions, total sway length and sway area (95% ellipse) were calculated. Approximate entropy (Apen) was calculated for measuring the complexity of the ML and AP center of pressure (COP) signals. RESULTS: As expected postural sway increased with increasing postural difficulty. However, there was no effect of ankle immobilization on postural sway parameters (p >.05). In the anterior-posterior direction ApEn increased with postural difficulty (0.38-0.50). In the mediolateral direction there was minimal changes in ApEn as a function of postural difficulty. There was no significant effect of restricting ankle motion of postural dynamics (0.62, 0.64, and 0.63). CONCLUSION: Restricting ankle movement has no effect on the dynamics of postural control. The findings suggest that individuals are able to compensate for restricted ankle mobility and maintain their postural stability.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot