Abstract
This study examined postural control during single leg stance test with progressively increased balance-task difficulty in soccer players with unilateral transfemoral amputation (n = 11) compared to able-bodied soccer players (n = 11). The overall stability index (OSI), the anterior/posterior stability index, and the medial/lateral stability index during three balance tasks with increasing surface instability were estimated. The oculomotor and visuomotor contribution to postural control in disabled athletes was analyzed. Oculomotor function, simple and choice reaction times, and peripheral perception were assessed in a series of visuomotor tests. The variation in OSI demonstrated significantly greater increases during postural tests with increased balance-task difficulty in the able-bodied soccer players compared to amputees (F(2,40) = 3.336, p < 0.05). Ocular mobility index correlated (p < 0.05) with OSI in conditions of increasing balance-task difficulty. Moreover, speed of eye-foot reaction has positive influence (p < 0.05) on stability indexes in tasks with an unstable surface. Amputee soccer players displayed comparable postural stability to able-bodied soccer players. Disabled athletes had better adaptability in restoring a state of balance in conditions of increased balance-task difficulty than the controls. The speed of visuomotor processing, characterized mainly by speed of eye-foot reaction, significantly contributed to these results.
Highlights
Postural control is one of the most highly affected functional abilities in lower limb amputees [1,2,3,4].Usually, postural control has been characterized as the act of maintaining, achieving or restoring a state of balance during any posture or activity [5]
It was observed that the overall stability index (OSI) value demonstrated significantly greater increase during postural tests with increased balance-task difficulty in the able-bodied soccer players than in amputee soccer players
Compared to the static condition, there was a significant increase in OSI mean values: (1) in the postural test with decreasing platform stability at levels 8 to 4, respectively for amputee soccer players by +0.491◦
Summary
Postural control is one of the most highly affected functional abilities in lower limb amputees [1,2,3,4].Usually, postural control has been characterized as the act of maintaining, achieving or restoring a state of balance during any posture or activity [5]. Deficits of balance limit the mobility of individuals with lower limb loss, resulting in a decrease in their physical capacities [6,7], daily activities [8] and, in consequence, their quality of life [9]. The loss in the lower extremity requires activation of adaptation mechanisms based on new movement patterns and adjustment strategies to regain balance control during standing and locomotion [2,10,11]. Study results of adjustment strategies for balance control have demonstrated the important role of integration among visual, vestibular, and proprioception. Bolger et al [3] indicated that individuals with lower limb amputation used asymmetric interlimb force coordination strategies to retain balance.
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