Reliability of ankle mechanics during jump landings in turned-out and parallel foot positions in professional ballet dancers

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the within- and between-session reliability of ankle mechanics and vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) during jump landings in turned-out and parallel foot positions in professional ballet dancers. Twenty-four professional ballet dancers (men = 13, women = 11) attended two data collection sessions where they completed five maximal countermovement jumps in each foot position. The ankle joint mechanics and vGRF of the right limb were recorded via a seven-camera motion capture system and one force platform. Within- and between-session intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficients of variation (CV), standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change were calculated for three-dimensional ankle excursion, peak ankle angle, ankle joint velocity, moment, and power, as well as peak landing vGRF, time to peak landing vGRF, loading rate, and jump height. Across both foot positions, within- (ICC: 0.17–0.96; CV: 1.4–82.3%) and between-session (ICC: 0.02–0.98; CV:1.3–57.1%) reliability ranged from poor to excellent, with ankle excursion, peak ankle angle, and jump height demonstrating the greatest ICC values (ICC: 0.65–0.96; CV: 1.4–57%). Jump landings in a turned-out foot position demonstrated better within-session reliability compared to a parallel position, however, no difference in between-session reliability across the foot positions was observed. Most ankle mechanics provide adequate between-session, but not within-session, reliability during jump landings in professional ballet dancers.