Abstract
Backward walking offers a unique challenge to balance and ambulation. This study investigated the characteristics of spatiotemporal gait factors and ankle kinematics during backward walking in people with chronic ankle instability. Sixteen subjects with chronic ankle instability and 16 able-bodied controls walked on a treadmill at their self-selected speed under backward and forward walking conditions. Gait speed, cadence, double limb support percentage, stride time variability, and three-dimensional ankle kinematics were compared between groups and conditions. During backward walking, both groups had significantly slower gait speed, lower cadence, and greater stride time variability. In addition, under backward walking condition, subjects in both groups demonstrated significant sagittal and frontal kinematic alternations, such as greater dorsiflexion and inversion following initial contact (0–27.7%, 0–25.0% of gait cycle respectively, p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between groups in any of the measured outcomes. This indicates that subjects with chronic ankle instability adapt to self-selected speed backward walking similarly to healthy controls. Assessments with more challenging tasks, such as backward walking with dual task and backward walking at fast speed, may be more appropriate for testing gait impairments related to chronic ankle instability.
Highlights
Backward walking offers a unique challenge to balance and ambulation
Linear variability measures that investigated the amplitude of variability, such as coefficient of variation, and non-linear variability approaches that evaluated the dynamic aspects of variability using mathematical tools related to chaos theory, have both reported differences in gait variability between individuals with and without Chronic ankle instability (CAI)
Participants with CAI were included if they met the following criteria: (i) history of at least one significant ankle sprain that occurred at least 12 months prior to the study and was diagnosed by a physician or a physical therapist based on clinical examination[28], (ii) history of at least two episodes of ‘giving way’ and feelings of ankle joint instability, (iii) the most recent injury occurred more than 6 weeks prior to study enrollment, (iv) answering “yes” to at least five yes/no questions of the Ankle Instability Instrument developed by Docherty et al.[29]
Summary
Backward walking offers a unique challenge to balance and ambulation. This study investigated the characteristics of spatiotemporal gait factors and ankle kinematics during backward walking in people with chronic ankle instability. There were no significant differences between groups in any of the measured outcomes This indicates that subjects with chronic ankle instability adapt to self-selected speed backward walking to healthy controls. Individuals with CAI report quality-of-life deficits and functional limitations in addition to the physical impairments[2,5,6] While mechanical factors, such as ankle ligaments hyperlaxity, may be responsible for CAI in some p atients[2], it can occur even when the mechanical constraints at the ankle are intact[7]. During walking, patients with CAI demonstrated less variability in frontal-plane ankle-hip coupling and greater variability in ankle frontal-knee sagittal-plane motions than patients without CAI15 Challenging conditions, such as rapid movements, fast walking, and walking with a cognitive dual task, emphasize differences in movement patterns between subjects with CAI and healthy individuals[8,16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
