Too lax: Mechanical ankle instability impairs joint control in the ankle sprains mechanism

INTRODUCTION Lateral ankle sprains belong to the most common injuries in sports and can result in chronic ankle instability (CAI) with residual symptoms like recurrent ankle sprains, ‘givingway’, pain or swelling [1]. In order to develop effective preventive and rehabilitative measures against lateral ankle sprains and CAI, it is important to get a detailed understanding of the related injury mechanisms and risk factors. However, despite much research, current knowledge about neuromusculoskeletal impairments in individuals with CAI is limited [3]. It remains an open question how mechanical ankle instability (MAI), i.e., an excessive inversion/anterior laxity, and functional ankle instability (FAI), i.e., subjectively perceived instability, affect joint control in the ankle sprain mechanism. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate if individuals with MAI have an impaired ankle joint control in injury-like situations compared to individuals with FAI and healthy controls.