Clinical trial NCT06801483: Ankle Strengthening in Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability
Official title: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Multiaxial Ankle Strengthening Training in Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Phase: NA
Conditions: Chronic Ankle Instability, CAI
Athletes
Keywords: progressive training
strengthening
balance training
chronic ankle instability
ankle training machine
Lead sponsor: China Medical University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan
First posted: 2025-01-30
Enrollment: 80
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 28
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common complication following an ankle sprain, affecting joint stability and leading to decreased muscle strength and poor neuromuscular control. These symptoms can significantly impact athletes' sports performance. Rehabilitation training for CAI majorly involves strengthening or balance training. Few studies have discussed treatment plans that combine the above two training, and the effectiveness of combined training is similar to that of single training content. Due to the lack of machines to train ankle strength, thera-bands were often used for ankle strengthening. However, the resistance thera-bands provide is limited and may need more for athletes requiring high-intensity training. In recent years, a local company has developed a multiaxial ankle training system for machine-based ankle strengthening. This machine allows for training the ankle joint in various directions while sitting and can provide greater training resistance. As this machine has recently been developed and there is seldom evidence for its use in training, this project aims to discuss the effectiveness of using the ankle training machine in athletes with chronic ankle instability. This study will compare the differences in muscle strength, morphology, muscle material properties, balance ability, and functional performance of athletes after a six-week combined training program with thera-band or the multiaxial ankle training system for providing resistance. Thereby establishing a training plan for athletes suffering from chronic ankle instability.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Unilateral CAI: Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) score ≤ 24
* Age between 18 and 28 years
* Engages in sports training at least 3 days a week, for more than 1 hour each session
* Able to perform training and assessment movements

Exclusion Criteria:

* Bilateral CAI
* Less than 6 months since the first ankle sprain
* Acute ankle sprain within the last 6 weeks
* Foot or ankle surgery within the last 3 months
* Neuromuscular diseases.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Muscle Morphology
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Y-Balance Test
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Countermovement Jump
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Triple Hop Test
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Ankle muscle strength
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week) and the end of intervention at 6 weeks
measure: Muscle tension
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Muscle stiffness
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Muscle elasticity
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Muscle stress relaxation time
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Muscle creep
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Eyes Open/Eyes Closed Single-Leg Stance Test
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Muscle activation during countermovement Jump
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week), midterm of training (3rd. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
measure: Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM)
timeFrame: At enrollment (1st. week) and the end of training at 6 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Taichung
country: Taiwan
facility: China Medical University
Study officials:
affiliation: China Medical University, China
name: Chia-Ming Chang, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: