The Effects of Ankle Compliance and Flexibility on Ankle Sprains

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2000

Publication Title

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of this study was to examine the influence of changes in subtalar joint flexibility and compliance on ankle sprain occurrence.

Methods: Muscle model driven simulations of 10 subjects performing the landing phase of a side-shuffle movement were performed. The passive flexibility or compliance of the subtalar joint was varied, and each subject-specific simulation was exposed to a set of perturbed floor conditions.

Results: Increases in flexibility and compliance both led to an increase in the occurrence of excessive supination, while changes in flexibility had a greater influence. Changes in flexibility or compliance caused only small changes in the occurrence of excessive supination torques.

Conclusion: These results suggest that increased mechanical laxity does not directly cause an increase in sprain occurrence during side-shuffle movements.

Volume

32

Issue

2

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