Clinical movement assessments do not differ between collegiate athletes with and without chronic ankle instability

Abstract

ObjectivesTo determine if overall Landing Error Scoring System-17 (LESS-17) and Fusionetics scores differ between collegiate athletes with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). We also aimed to determine if the rate of specific movement errors during the LESS-17 and Fusionetics differed between the groups. DesignCase-Control. SettingClinical Sports Medicine Facility. ParticipantsNinety-nine athletes from six Division I NCAA sports were eligible for the investigation. Forty-nine of those participants were classified as having CAI and fifty were classified as uninjured controls. Main outcome measuresAn overall Lower Extremity Fusionetics score and individual task scores were calculated based on movement errors made during a double limb, double-limb with heel lift, and single limb squat. A LESS-17 score was calculated based on movement errors made during a 30 cm drop jump. ResultsNo differences were found between groups for the LESS-17 (p = 0.51), overall Lower Extremity Fusionetics (p = 0.49), and individual Fusionetics tasks (p > 0.36). More individuals with CAI made an uncontrolled trunk movement during a single-limb squat than uninjured controls (p < 0.01). ConclusionsOverall movement quality, as assessed by the LESS-17 and Fusionetics, did not differ between collegiate athletes with and without CAI. The rate of making specific movement errors also did not differ between groups.