ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Single leg balance test to identify risk of ankle sprains

T H Trojian¹, D B McKeag²

¹ University of Connecticut Health Center/Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
² IU Center for Sports Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Correspondence to:
Dr Thomas H Trojian
University of Connecticut Health Center/Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine, 99 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105, USA; ttrojian{at}stfranciscare.org

Background: Ankle sprains are a common and potentially disabling injury. Successful prediction of susceptibility to ankle sprain injury with a simple test could allow ankle sprain prevention protocols to be initiated and help prevent disability in the athletic population.

Objective: To investigate the ability of the single leg balance (SLB) test, carried out at preseason physical examination, to predict an ankle sprain during the autumn sports season.

Design: Prospective cohort study

Setting: High school varsity athletics and intercollegiate athletics.

Main outcome measure: Ankle sprains in athletes with positive SLB tests.

Results: The association between a positive SLB test and future ankle sprains was significant. Controlling for confounding variables, the relative risk for an ankle sprain with a positive SLB test was 2.54 (95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 6.03). Athletes with a positive SLB test who did not tape their ankles had an increased likelihood of developing ankle sprains. The relative risk for ankle sprain for a positive SLB test and negative taping was 8.82 (1.07 to 72.70). A history of previous ankle injury was not associated with future ankle sprains in this study. The value for interrater reliability for the SLB test was 0.898 (p<0.001).

Conclusions: An association was demonstrated between a positive SLB test and ankle sprain. In athletes with a positive SLB test, not taping the ankle imposed an increased risk of sprain. The SLB test is a reliable and valid test for predicting ankle sprains.

Abbreviations: ATC, certified athletics trainer; PPE, preparticipation examination; SLB, single leg balance

Keywords: ankle injury; musculoskeletal equilibrium; posture; proprioception; risk factors

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Commentary 1

E J Swenson³

³ University of Rochester, Orthopaedics, Rochester, New York, USA; jswenur{at}yahoo.com

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Commentary 2

S H Grindel⁴

⁴ Spectrum Health, Reed City Campus, Reed City, Michigan, USA; scott.grindel{at}spectrum-health.org

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