Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to compare temporal walking gait parameters between patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) who experience ongoing ankle pain and those who do not. Secondly, examine the relationship between pain intensity and vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) among patients with CAI who experience ankle pain. Twenty-two CAI participants (18-35 years) who did (n=9) or did not (n=13) experience ongoing ankle pain were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Participants performed 5 walking trials across a GAITRite® instrumented walkway and force platform embedded into the laboratory floor. Temporal variables (swing, single- and double-limb support) were extracted from the instrumented walkway for the involved limb and normalized to percent of gait cycle (%GC). All vGRF data collected through the force platform were normalized to each participant's body weight and used to calculate the peak vGRF, time-to-peak vGRF, and the average loading rate. All data were averaged across the 5 walking trials for statistical analysis. Pain intensity levels were assessed using the Pain Subscale of the Foot and Ankle Disability Index, where lower scores represent greater pain intensity levels. Significance was set a priori at P<0.05. Preliminary results suggests that CAI participants with ankle pain might spend less time in single-limb stance (Pain: 38.1 %GC vs. No Pain: 39.2 %GC; p=0.08), but more time in double-limb stance (Pain 23.8 %GC vs. No Pain: 22.1 %GC; p=0.07) than those without pain. Additionally, a strong negative correlation (p < 0.001; r = -0.956) between ankle pain intensity levels and average vGRF loading rate was observed among those with ankle pain. The preliminary data suggests patients with CAI who experience ongoing ankle pain might modify their walking gait pattern, which might occur because of the close relationship between higher average loading rates and increased pain intensity levels.
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