A main feature of human locomotion is to protect the musculoskeletal system against harmful overloading. If those neuromuscular and structural/anatomical protective mechanisms fail, injuries are very likely. One of the most frequent examples of sports injuries is an ankle sprain, which leads very often to the development of chronic ankle instability (CAI). It is thought that the concept of CAI encompasses both, mechanical ankle instability, i.e., an impaired structural protection, as well as an impaired function of the neuromuscular system to control the ankle during daily and sportive activities. I will discuss that CAI and especially its neuromuscular impairments are not completely understood yet. Results are diverse, for instance indicating an impaired postural stability and invertor strength without differences in ankle range of motion or muscle reflex latencies compared to healthy controls. Hence, this talk will focus on most recent research approaches, which aim to evaluate ankle joint control in functional dynamic situations trying to assess both feedforward and feedback control mechanisms. Therefore, complex game-like situations are biomechanically analysed. In addition, ankle sprain mechanisms are imitated to assess features of neuromuscular joint control in individuals with CAI and its sub-entities. This talk will indicate how these approaches may help us to better understand the problem of CAI.
© Copyright 2016 21st Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Vienna, 6. -9. July 2016. Veröffentlicht von University of Vienna. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.