Context: Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) rely more on visual information during postural control due to impaired proprioceptive function. The increased reliance on visual information may increase the risk of injury when their vision is limited during complex sports activities. Stroboscopic glasses may help elicit sensory reweighting during postural control. Therefore, we assumed that the glasses would induce and train CAI patients to reweight sensory information for the somatosensory system during dynamic balance training. Purpose: (1) to identify the effects of the 4-week dynamic balance training on the reliance of visual information during postural control in patients with CAI and (2) to compare the effects of the 4-week dynamic balance with and without stroboscopic glasses on postural control in patients with CAI. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. Twenty-eight CAI patients were equally assigned to one of 2 groups: a strobe group (6 males and 8 females) or a control group (8 males and 6 females). The 4-week dynamic balance training consisted of multiple single-legged exercises. The strobe group wore stroboscopic glasses during the training, but the control group did not. The main outcome measures included the following: self-reported function measures, static postural control (center of posture (COP)-based measures), and dynamic postural control including the Dynamic Postural Stability Index (DPSI), and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). There were 3 visual conditions in the static postural control (eyes-open (EO), strobe vision (SV), and eyes-closed (EC)), and 2 conditions in the dynamic postural control (EO and SV). Two-way randomized block ANOVAs were used to assess changes in postural control in each group and condition by using pretest-posttest mean differences. Results: The strobe group showed a higher difference in COP velocity in medial-lateral direction (VelML) and vertical stability index (VSI) under the SV condition compared with the control group (p = .005 and .004, respectively). In addition, the strobe group had significant decreases in VelML, DPSI, and VSI at the posttest compared with the pretest (p = .0001, .01, and .005, respectively). Conclusion: The 4-week dynamic balance training with stroboscopic glasses appeared to be effective in improving postural control and altering visual reliance in patients with CAI.

Diploma thesis title: Influence of tissue flossing therapy on the range of motion and fascial chains in the lower limbs. Objectives: The main objective is to present theoretical facts about tissue flossing therapy, to document the effect of this method on the active range of motion in the lower limbs and to investigate whether this increase in movement can be achieved by influencing fascial chains in distant parts of the musculoskeletal system. Methods: The research was completed by 30 recreational or high-level athletes aged 19 to 26 years. Initial testing and subsequent treatment of the ankle joint and surrounding fascial structures were done using the tissue flossing technique. The initial tests consisted of a weight- bearing lunge test to test the dorsal flexion of the ankle joint and a Thomayer test to test the range of motion within the fascial superficial back line. Treatment of both ankle joints and surrounding fascial structures on both lower limbs was followed by final testing. The resulting data were processed using mathematical software R. A paired t-test, a two-sample t-test for independent selections assuming different variables and a test of the agreement of the fraction with a known constant were used to calculate the p-values. Statistical significance was determined at the critical...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that the use of ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurements helps identify patients with peripheral arterial disease. Previous research also reveals a relationship between peripheral arterial disease and higher incidence of cardiac mortality and morbidity. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of a low ABI (<0.90 mm Hg) with coronary artery disease, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, body mass index greater than 25, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and carotid artery disease. METHODS: A descriptive correlational design was used to study a population (N = 810) of fairly healthy women who self-selected to undergo cardiovascular screening that they paid for out of pocket. Cardiac disease and most of the data on risk factors were obtained using questionnaires. Carotid artery stenosis was determined by ultrasound. Hypotheses were tested using χ and independent t test. RESULTS: A statistically significant relationship was found between a low ABI and the presence of moderate to severe carotid artery stenosis (χ = 5.90, P = .015). A low ABI (<0.90 mm Hg) was not significantly related to cardiac disease (χ = 0.83, P = .362), diabetes (χ = 1.82, P = .177), hypercholesterolemia (χ = 0.01, P = .930), claudication (χ = 2.06, P = .151), physical activity (χ = 1.17, P = .884), or body mass index (t = 1.12, P = .270). CONCLUSION: The significant relationship between low ABI and carotid artery stenosis illustrates that atherosclerosis occurs in multiple arterial beds simultaneously. The lack of association between ABI and the other variables probably reflects the self-report nature of the data collected on these variables. Ankle-brachial index measurements may be useful in future research as a tool for early recognition of cardiovascular disease.

Gallstones have been linked to dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness is an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the relationship between gallstone disease and arterial stiffness progression in 347 men and 454 women. These subjects were followed for 7 years. Arterial stiffness progression was measured based on increases in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. Changes in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity during the study period were significantly greater in patients with gallstones than in subjects without gallstones. After adjusting for multiple risk factors, gallstone disease was found to be a significant and independent predictor of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity progression (β=0.189; P<0.001). In conclusion, gallstone disease is an independent predictor of arterial stiffness progression, even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors.

Functional ankle instability (FAI) is characterized by the recurrent giving way of the ankle and the constant feeling of instability that affects the quality of life of its patients adversely. Kinesiology Tape (KT), differed from the traditional rigid athletic tape, becomes more popular as a new therapeutic tool for injuries management. It is reported to decrease pain, promote blood circulation and natural healing of muscular functioning. However, scientific evidence of KT’s effects on FAI remains very limited. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate if applying KT on the unstable ankle may improve static postural control in individuals with FAI. Twenty young adults with FAI performed a series of static quiet bipedal and unipedal stances on a force platform. Postural control was assessed by four measures derived from the centre of pressure (COP) data: 95% Confidence ellipse of total displacements (area), standard deviation of displacements (SD), mean velocity and mean power frequency (MPF). Measurements were taken at three different times: baseline or no tape, immediately after the application of KT on the unstable ankle, and 24 hours after the taping application with the tape remaining on the ankle. Results revealed only minor changes in mean velocity and MPF in unipedal stances immediately after KT application. However, the overall results indicated statistically insignificant improvements in postural control performance neither immediately after KT application nor after 24 hours. In conclusion, our results suggest that the use of KT did not affect bipedal and unipedal stances of individuals with functional ankle instability.

Sport-related injuries (SRI) can be foreseen and averted when mechanisms and risk factors are completely understood. An appreciation of the relationship between sport-related concussion (SRC) and lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries (LEMI) is emerging amid professional and collegiate athletes. However, findings of such a relationship in adults may not be generalizable to younger populations, and the literature has not addressed this relationship in adolescents. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to examine the relationship between SRC and LEMI in high school athletes. The dynamic model of etiology in sport injury provided the study's conceptual framework. A de-identified secondary dataset of high school athletic injuries was obtained from the Athletic Training Practice Based Rehab Network and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Concussions, knee sprains, and ankle sprains represented about 12%, 17%, and 70%, respectively, of the 1,613 cases in the dataset. Chi-square tests revealed that SRCs, and the number of SRCs, were associated with knee sprains [(p < .001), Cramer's V = .148] and ankle sprains [(p < .001), Cramer's V = .545]. This study may promote positive social change by prompting further retrospective and prospective studies to clarify whether a relationship exists between SRC and LEMI in high school athletes, and if so, whether this relationship is causal in nature. New knowledge may be used to guide practices and policies to reduce sports injuries in high school athletes, which may lead to fewer SRIs among adolescents, fewer school absences, more physical activity, and better health and well-being throughout the lifespan, thereby promoting a more active, productive, and healthy society.

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Context: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) individuals experience residual symptoms including pain, swelling, ankle instability, etc. A small majority of CAI individuals report ankle pain during daily or physical activity. Despite the known negative effects of chronic pain on neuromuscular control, there is a paucity of research exploring the specific impact of chronic pain mechanisms on altered neuromuscular control in CAI individuals. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of pain levels on static and dynamic postural control and visual reliance in CAI individuals. Methods: A total of 60 participants were recruited, consisting of 20 CAI individuals with high pain, 20 CAI individuals with low pain, and 20 healthy controls. Participants performed static postural control with eyes open and closed, the star excursion balance test (SEBT), and single-leg hop stabilization. One-way ANOVA assessed differences in Romberg ratios, SEBT, dynamic postural stability index, and self-reported outcomes. Two-way ANOVA (3x2) was used to assess differences in static postural control across the three groups. Results: The high pain group showed decreased mediolateral (ML) direction of static postural stability in eyes closed and a higher Romberg ratio in ML direction compared to the low pain group. The high pain group showed decreased reach distance and increased dynamic postural control in vertical and dynamic postural stability index compared to the healthy control group and low pain group, respectively. Conclusions: The levels of chronic pain can have a significant impact on both static and dynamic postural control and visual reliance in CAI individuals. Therefore, fluctuating chronic pain levels may result in alterations in motor outcomes.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI) is a hip impairment, which is according to recent studies significant contributor to hip osteoarthritis. Current research is dedicated to evaluate movement patterns of hip, pelvis and spine in patients with FAI using a motion analysis capture system. Biomechanics and kinesiology relations between spino-pelvic complex and lower limb joints led us to choose the topic of this thesis. The goal of this study was to define the movements of ankle and foot in patients with FAI syndrome and to compare with asymptomatic control group. To measure the parameters during gait we used Qualisys motion capture system and then the data were processed in Qualisys Track Manager 2020.03. We assessed the movements of ankle, rearfoot and the progression foot angle during the stance phase of gait cycle. Moreover, we measured the step length, gait speed and passive range of motion of the hip in both exploratory groups. In total we examinated 30 subjects, 15 with FAI syndrome and 15 asymptomatic volunteers with physiologic hip condition. We demonstrated three significant between group changes in average ankle range of motion in sagittal plane, foot progression angle and passive range of motion of the hip.