Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability

Abstract Background Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability (CLAI) is a common condition that significantly impacts patient outcomes, necessitating optimal rehabilitation management. The present study aims to assess the therapeutic efficacy of McConnell taping, McDavid A101 semi-rigid ankle braces, and du...

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Main Authors: Jianing Xu, Yonglei Huang, Ming Li, Shasha Liu, Wenxin Niu, Taoli Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01215-1
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author Jianing Xu
Yonglei Huang
Ming Li
Shasha Liu
Wenxin Niu
Taoli Wang
author_facet Jianing Xu
Yonglei Huang
Ming Li
Shasha Liu
Wenxin Niu
Taoli Wang
author_sort Jianing Xu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability (CLAI) is a common condition that significantly impacts patient outcomes, necessitating optimal rehabilitation management. The present study aims to assess the therapeutic efficacy of McConnell taping, McDavid A101 semi-rigid ankle braces, and dual-tasking on gait patterns in individuals with CLAI, thereby informing evidence-based rehabilitation protocols. Methods Employing a self-controlled pre-post design, the study included individuals with CLAI treated at our facility, paired with an equal number of healthy controls. The study evaluated gait speed, stride time variability (STV), ankle plantarflexion and inversion angles, and the accuracy rate of serial-7 subtraction tasks. Results 60 participants were finally included. External support and cognitive task significantly affected gait speed. The use of taping significantly increased the gait speed of the experimental group during walking alone (P = 0.018) and during the subtraction task (P = 0.017), and the ankle brace increased the gait speed during the subtraction task in the experimental group (P = 0.027). Both groups had lower subtraction task accuracy while walking barefoot. Conclusion In the context of CLAI rehabilitation, it may be beneficial to consider not only the strategic application of external supports but also the potential benefits of leveraging the interaction between central and peripheral mechanism. This approach may contribute to the development of more effective rehabilitation strategies for individuals with CLAI. Trial registration Our study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on January 16, 2025, under the registration number ChiCTR2500096052.
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spelling doaj-art-351b6dbf27ba4470a125aac17bc73eaa2025-08-20T03:03:29ZengBMCBMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation2052-18472025-07-0117111310.1186/s13102-025-01215-1Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instabilityJianing Xu0Yonglei Huang1Ming Li2Shasha Liu3Wenxin Niu4Taoli Wang5Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University School of MedicineShanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University School of MedicineShanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University School of MedicineShanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University School of MedicineShanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University School of MedicineDepartment of Rehabilitation, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineAbstract Background Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability (CLAI) is a common condition that significantly impacts patient outcomes, necessitating optimal rehabilitation management. The present study aims to assess the therapeutic efficacy of McConnell taping, McDavid A101 semi-rigid ankle braces, and dual-tasking on gait patterns in individuals with CLAI, thereby informing evidence-based rehabilitation protocols. Methods Employing a self-controlled pre-post design, the study included individuals with CLAI treated at our facility, paired with an equal number of healthy controls. The study evaluated gait speed, stride time variability (STV), ankle plantarflexion and inversion angles, and the accuracy rate of serial-7 subtraction tasks. Results 60 participants were finally included. External support and cognitive task significantly affected gait speed. The use of taping significantly increased the gait speed of the experimental group during walking alone (P = 0.018) and during the subtraction task (P = 0.017), and the ankle brace increased the gait speed during the subtraction task in the experimental group (P = 0.027). Both groups had lower subtraction task accuracy while walking barefoot. Conclusion In the context of CLAI rehabilitation, it may be beneficial to consider not only the strategic application of external supports but also the potential benefits of leveraging the interaction between central and peripheral mechanism. This approach may contribute to the development of more effective rehabilitation strategies for individuals with CLAI. Trial registration Our study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on January 16, 2025, under the registration number ChiCTR2500096052.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01215-1Chronic lateral ankle instabilityTrainingRehabilitationCareTreatment
spellingShingle Jianing Xu
Yonglei Huang
Ming Li
Shasha Liu
Wenxin Niu
Taoli Wang
Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Chronic lateral ankle instability
Training
Rehabilitation
Care
Treatment
title Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability
title_full Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability
title_fullStr Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability
title_full_unstemmed Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability
title_short Effects of external ankle support and dual-tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability
title_sort effects of external ankle support and dual tasking on gait in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability
topic Chronic lateral ankle instability
Training
Rehabilitation
Care
Treatment
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01215-1
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