Clinical and laboratory measures associated with health-related quality of life in individuals with chronic ankle instability

Objective: To identify clinician and laboratory-oriented measures of function capable of explaining health-related quality of life in individuals with chronic ankle instability.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Laboratory.

Participants: Forty physically active individuals with chronic ankle instability attended a single testing session.

Main outcome measures: Participants completed health-related quality of life, postural control, strength, sensory, and mechanical assessments. Health-related quality of life assessments included the Short Form-12 Physical and Mental Summary Components, Disablement in the Physically Active Scale, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure.

Results: A combination of mechanical and functional impairments accounted for 18-35% of the variance associated with health-related quality of life related to physical function and fear. Although physical impairments accounted for 7% of the variance associated with mental health-related quality of life, the overall model was associated with a weak effect size.

Conclusion: Measures of postural control, dorsiflexion range of motion, plantar cutaneous sensation, and ankle arthrometry contributed to a significant proportion of the variance associated with health-related quality of life in those with chronic ankle instability. Other variables should be examined to address mental components of health-related quality of life.