Abstract
Chronic ankle instability (CAI) after ankle sprains has been shown to cause foot and
ankle disability. Although rehabilitation programs for patients with CAI have been
performed in related studies, few researchers have studied overall performance including
pain, balance, and isokinetic torque. The purpose of this study was to determine if
a short-term rehabilitation program that addressed range of motion (ROM), functional
muscular performance, and neuromuscular control, can improve the foot/ankle disability
index (FADI), FADI-Sport, ROM, star excursion balance test (SEBT), and isokinetic
torque for patients with CAI. Prior to the experiment, we investigated the principal
injury site through an administered questionnaire on 236 potential participants, and
selected 18 male subjects aged between 21 and 23 years. 9 subjects (rehabilitation
group, RG) with unilateral CAI took part in the rehabilitation program for 4 weeks,
whereas 9 subjects (control group, CG) did not participate in that program. The results
were as follows; the RG significantly increased FADI, FADI-Sport scores, and ROM on
the injured limb compared with the CG. Also, the RG had greater SEBT reaches and improvements
in isokinetic torque compared with the CG. In conclusion, these results demonstrate
that a short-term rehabilitation program can improve functional limitations in patients
with CAI.
Key words
ankle disability - foot/ankle disability index - star excursion balance test