Feedback and Feedforward Control During Walking in Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability

• Published in: The journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy Vol. 46; no. 9; pp. 775 - 783
• Main Authors: Yen, Sheng-Che, Corkery, Marie B., Donohoe, Amy, Grogan, Maddison, Wu, Yi-Ning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Adult; Ankle Joint - physiopathology; Biomechanical Phenomena - physiology; Case-Control Studies; Exercise Test - methods; Feedback; Female; Heel - physiology; Humans; Joint Instability - physiopathology; Male; Walking - physiology; Young Adult; feedback; ankle instability; adaptation; gait; feedforward
• ISSN: 0190-6011; 1938-1344
• DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2016.6403

Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Background Recurrent ankle sprains associated with chronic ankle instability (CAI) occur not only in challenging sports but also in daily walking. Understanding whether and how CAI alters feedback and feedforward controls during walking may be important for developing interventions for CAI prevention or treatment. Objective To understand whether CAI is associated with changes in feedback and feedforward control when individuals with CAI are subjected to experimental perturbation during walking. Methods Twelve subjects with CAI and 12 control subjects walked on a treadmill while adapting to external loading that generated inversion perturbation at the ankle joint. Ankle kinematics around heel contact during and after the adaptation were compared between the 2 groups. Results Both healthy and CAI groups showed an increase in eversion around heel contact in early adaptation to the external loading. However, the CAI group adapted back toward the baseline, while the healthy controls showed further increase in eversion in late adaptation. When the external loading was removed in the postadaptation period, healthy controls showed an aftereffect consisting of an increase in eversion around heel contact, but the CAI group showed no aftereffect. Conclusion The results provide preliminary evidence that CAI may alter individuals' feedback and feedforward control during walking. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(9):775-783. Epub 5 Aug 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6403.