Prediction of Recurrent Lateral Ankle Sprain and Ankle Pain Using Applied Care Strategies and Patient-Reported Outcomes.

CONTEXT: Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) patients often have deficient patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at return-to-activity (RTA), potentially increasing risk for recurrent LAS and ankle pain. Additionally, applied care strategies are known to correct impairments, but their ability to mitigate risk for long-term consequences remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine if applied care strategies and PRO scores at RTA and 6-months post-RTA predict recurrent LAS and ankle pain 12 months after an acute LAS. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Online survey. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: We enrolled 63 individuals within one week of sustaining an acute LAS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed online surveys about their health history and recent LAS. At RTA and 6 months post-RTA, participants completed online surveys regarding demographics, applied care strategies, and patient reported outcomes (PROs): Foot and Ankle Disability Index, Identification of Functional Ankle Instability, Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, Short Form-8. At 12 months post-RTA, we asked participants if they sustained recurrent LAS. Chi-squares determined if recurrent LAS and ankle pain at 12-months were related to applied care strategies or ankle pain at RTA. Independent t-tests compared demographics and PROs at RTA and 6-months between participants with and without a recurrent LAS or ankle pain at 12-months. Logistic regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) analyses determined if demographics, applied care strategies, ankle pain at RTA, and PRO scores at RTA and 6-months predicted recurrent LAS and ankle pain at 12-months. RESULTS: Participants with a recurrent LAS had a lower walking boot use (P=0.05) and were taller than those without (P=0.03). Increased height and lack of walking boot use were predictive of recurrent LAS (P<0.01, R2=0.33, AUROC=0.81[0.68, 0.95]). CONCLUSIONS: LAS patients who are taller and do not use a walking boot might have greater risk for a recurrent LAS withing 12 months of RTA.

The Influence of Emergency Call Volume on Occupational Workload and Sleep Quality in Urban Firefighters.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of emergency call volume on exertion, autonomic activity, and sleep among urban structural firefighters. METHODS: Thirty-four firefighters wore a wrist-based monitor to track sleep and autonomic parameters and rated their level of perceived exertion (RPE) and subjective sleepiness after a 24-hour shift. Predictive variables included total run time and total run time after 11:59 PM. RESULTS: Total run time and sleep duration accounted for RPE and subjective sleepiness; while total run time and total run time after 11:59 PM accounted for sleep durations on-duty. CONCLUSIONS: The current results suggest emergency call volume is associated with indicators of exertion and sleep. As such, call volume tracking is an important consideration for departments to ensure personnel readiness and wellness and provide a method of tracking the occupational demands experienced by firefighters on-duty.

Contralateral thalamocortical connectivity is related to postural control in the uninvolved limb of older adults with history of ankle sprain.

BACKGROUND: Sensorimotor brain connectivity is often overlooked when determining relationships between postural control and motor performance following musculoskeletal injury. Thalamocortical brain connectivity is of particular interest as it represents the temporal synchrony of functionally and anatomically linked brain regions. Importantly, adults over the age of 60 are especially vulnerable to musculoskeletal injury due to age-related declines in postural control and brain connectivity. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is there a relationship between thalamocortical connectivity and static postural control in older adults with a history of LAS? METHODS: Data were analyzed from twenty older adults (mean age = 67.0 ± 4.3 yrs; 13 females) with a history of LAS. The sensorimotor network (SMN) was identified from resting-state MRI data, and a priori thalamic and postcentral gyri regions of interest were selected in order to determine left and right hemisphere thalamocortical connectivity. Balance was assessed for the involved and non-involved limbs via center of pressure velocity (COPV) in the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions. RESULTS: Contralateral thalamocortical connectivity was significantly associated with COPV_ML COPV_ML (r = -0.474, P = 0.05) and COPV_AP (r = -0.622, P = 0.008) in the non-involved limb. No significant association was observed between involved limb balance and contralateral thalamocortical connectivity (COPV_ML: r = -0.08, P = 0.77; COPV_AP: r = 0.12, P = 0.63). SIGNIFICANCE: A significant relationship between thalamocortical connectivity and static postural control was observed in the non-involved, but not the involved limb in older adults with a history of LAS. Findings suggest that thalamocortical connectivity may lead to or be the product of LAS.

Influences of Athletic Trainers' Return-to-Activity Assessments for Patients With an Ankle Sprain.

CONTEXT: Athletic trainers (ATs) inconsistently apply rehabilitation-oriented assessments (ROASTs) when deciding return-to-activity readiness for patients with an ankle sprain. Facilitators and barriers that are most influential to ATs' assessment selection remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine facilitators of and barriers to ATs' selection of outcome assessments when determining return-to-activity readiness for patients with an ankle sprain. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Online survey. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: We sent an online survey to 10 000 clinically practicing ATs. The survey was accessed by 676 individuals, of whom 574 submitted responses (85% completion rate), and 541 respondents met the inclusion criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The survey was designed to explore facilitators and barriers influencing ATs' selection of pain; ankle-joint swelling, range of motion, arthrokinematics, and strength; balance; gait; functional capacity; physical activity level; and patient-reported outcome assessments when making return-to-activity decisions for patients after an ankle sprain. The survey asked for reasons that participants chose to use or not use each measure (eg, previous education, personal comfort, most appropriate, available or feasible, perceived value, and other). The survey contained 12 demographic items that characterized the sample of respondents and were examined as potential influences on the facilitators and barriers. Chi-square analysis was used to identify relationships among participant demographics and facilitators of or barriers to assessment selection. RESULTS: Selection of each ROAST and non-ROAST was most commonly facilitated by previous education, availability or feasibility, or perceived value. Avoidance of each ROAST was most often caused by the lack of previous education, availability or feasibility, or perceived value. The presence of facilitators and barriers was affected by various demographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of facilitators and barriers affected ATs' implementation of expert-recommended assessments when determining return-to-activity readiness in patients with an ankle sprain. Some subpopulations of ATs experienced more favorable or prohibitive conditions for assessment use.

Association of Diaphragm Contractility and Postural Control in a Chronic Ankle Instability Population: A Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: Altered reorganization of the sensorimotor system after an initial lateral ankle sprain may lead to a chronic neuromuscular maladaptation in multiple body locations. Specifically, decreased diaphragm contractility has been observed in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). The diaphragm has an essential role in postural control. Decreased diaphragm contractility could associate with diminished postural control commonly observed in patients with CAI. However, no study has determined if diaphragm contractility contributes to postural control in a CAI population. HYPOTHESIS: Decreased diaphragm contractility would be negatively associated with static postural control in patients with CAI. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4. METHODS: A total of 15 participants with CAI participated voluntarily. An ultrasonography assessment was performed to quantify the right and left hemidiaphragm thickness at the end of resting inspiration and expiration in supine while breathing quietly. The degree of diaphragm contractility was calculated from the diaphragm thickness. Participants performed 3 eyes-open trials of a 20-second single-leg balance task on the involved limb. Static postural control measures included the center of pressure velocity (COPV) and mean of time-to-boundary (TTB) minima in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral directions. RESULTS: Moderate correlations of the right hemidiaphragm contractility were observed with COPV (ρ = -0.54) and TTB mean minima (ρ = 0.56) (P < 0.05) in the AP direction. The left hemidiaphragm contractility was moderately correlated with COPV (ρ = -0.56) and TTB mean minima (ρ = 0.60) (P < 0.05) in the AP direction. CONCLUSION: Lower diaphragm contractility may be associated with diminished static postural control in the AP direction in patients with CAI. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study highlights diaphragm contractility could be a potential connection with diminished static postural control in patients with CAI. Our data raise new avenues for future exploration including potential beneficial effects of implementation of diaphragm breathing exercises and techniques for restoring static postural control in patients with CAI.

Etiology of Exercise Injuries in Firefighters: A Healthcare Practitioners' Perspective.

The purpose of this study was to query healthcare practitioners (HCPs) who treat firefighter injuries to identify risk factors and mechanisms associated with musculoskeletal injuries during exercise. A phenomenological design was utilized to understand the experiences of HCPs while treating firefighters' musculoskeletal injuries due to exercise. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 HCPs. Two interviews were pilot-tested with HCPs to ensure reliability and validity. Interviews were transcribed and uploaded to a qualitative analysis software program. Although the study inquired about injuries incurred by any exercise modality (e.g., endurance and resistance training), injuries induced during resistance training were prominent among HCPs as resistance training emerged as a primary exercise injury mechanism. HCPs indicated that the back and shoulder were prevalent anatomical exercise injury locations. Risk factors for exercise injuries included age, immobility, movement proficiency, and factors associated with fatigue. Exercise injury mechanisms included poor resistance training technique and overexertion. These findings could guide exercise program design, use of movement assessments, and the identification of other countermeasures to decrease the risk of resistance training exercise injuries among firefighters.

Yoga as a balance intervention for middle-age and older adults with history of lateral ankle sprain: An exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION: Balance deficiencies are common among aging adults. Musculoskeletal injuries such as lateral ankle sprains (LAS) also contribute to compromised balance; potentially amplifying the postural insufficiencies in these age groups with a history of LAS. Yoga has emerged as an effective balance training intervention for aging adults; but limited application exists in these age cohorts with LAS history. This study may provide important guidance for the implementation of this intervention in these populations. METHODS: In this cohort design study, middle-age and older adults with a history of LAS completed an 8-week beginner-level yoga class. Balance was measured before and after the yoga intervention statically (force plate) and dynamically (star excursion balance test [SEBT]) using single-limb balance tasks. RESULTS: Following the yoga intervention, older adults improved static postural control in the anterior-posterior direction, as well as dynamic postural control in selected reach directions of the SEBT relative to the middle-age adults. CONCLUSION: This is an important step in exploring how to help the aging population that likely has amplifications in balance deficiencies due to a common musculoskeletal injury, LAS. While more work is needed to determine how to optimize and document balance improvements in aging adults with LAS history, yoga appears to be a promising form of intervention, particularly for older adults.

Effects of foot intensive rehabilitation (FIRE) on clinical outcomes for patients with chronic ankle instability: a randomized controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Lateral ankle sprains account for a large proportion of musculoskeletal injuries among civilians and military service members, with up to 40% of patients developing chronic ankle instability (CAI). Although foot function is compromised in patients with CAI, these impairments are not routinely addressed by current standard of care (SOC) rehabilitation protocols, potentially limiting their effectiveness. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to determine if a Foot Intensive REhabilitation (FIRE) protocol is more effective compared to SOC rehabilitation for patients with CAI. METHODS: This study will use a three-site, single-blind, randomized controlled trial design with data collected over four data collection points (baseline and post-intervention with 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups) to assess variables related to recurrent injury, sensorimotor function, and self-reported function. A total of 150 CAI patients (50 per site) will be randomly assigned to one of two rehabilitation groups (FIRE or SOC). Rehabilitation will consist of a 6-week intervention composed of supervised and home exercises. Patients assigned to SOC will complete exercises focused on ankle strengthening, balance training, and range of motion, while patients assigned to FIRE will complete a modified SOC program along with additional exercises focused on intrinsic foot muscle activation, dynamic foot stability, and plantar cutaneous stimulation. DISCUSSION: The overall goal of this trial is to compare the effectiveness of a FIRE program versus a SOC program on near- and long-term functional outcomes in patients with CAI. We hypothesize the FIRE program will reduce the occurrence of future ankle sprains and ankle giving way episodes while creating clinically relevant improvements in sensorimotor function and self-reported disability beyond the SOC program alone. This study will also provide longitudinal outcome findings for both FIRE and SOC for up to two years. Enhancing the current SOC for CAI will improve the ability of rehabilitation to reduce subsequent ankle injuries, diminish CAI-related impairments, and improve patient-oriented measures of health, which are critical for the immediate and long-term health of civilians and service members with this condition. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov Registry: NCT #NCT04493645 (7/29/20).

The Relationship Between Health-Related Quality of Life and Lower-Extremity Visuomotor Reaction Time in Young Adult Women Following Ankle Sprain.

CONTEXT: Many individuals who sustain a lateral ankle sprain (LAS) fail to return to prior activity due to residual symptoms; and report elevated levels of injury-related fear, decreased function, and decreased health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Additionally, individuals with history of LAS exhibit deficits in neurocognitive functional measures like visuomotor reaction time (VMRT), which contributes to worse patient-reported outcome scores. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between HRQOL and lower-extremity (LE) VMRT in individuals with LAS history. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Young adult female volunteers with history of LAS (n = 22; age = 24 [3.5] y; height = 163.1 [9.8] cm; mass = 65.1 [11.5] kg; and time since last LAS = 67.8 [50.5] mo) completed HRQOL outcomes including the following: (1) Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11, (2) Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, (3) Penn State Worry Questionnaire, (4) modified Disablement in the Physically Active Scale, and (5) Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI). Additionally, participants completed a LE-VMRT task by responding to a visual stimulus using their foot to deactivate light sensors. Participants completed trials bilaterally. Separate Spearman rho correlations were performed to assess the relationship between patient-reported outcomes assessing constructs of HRQOL and LE-VRMT bilaterally. Significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS: There was a strong, significant negative correlation between FADI-Activities of Daily Living (ρ = -.68; P = .002) and FADI-Sport (ρ = -.76; P = .001) scores and injured limb LE-VMRT; moderate, significant negative correlations between the uninjured limb LE-VMRT and FADI-Activities of Daily Living (ρ = -.60; P = .01) and FADI-Sport (ρ = -.60; P = .01) scores; and moderate, significant positive correlations between the injured limb LE-VMRT and modified Disablement in the Physically Active Scale-Physical Summary Component (ρ = .52; P = .01) and modified Disablement in the Physically Active Scale-Total (ρ = .54; P = .02) scores. All other correlations were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Young adult women with history of LAS demonstrated an association between self-reported constructs of HRQOL and LE-VMRT. As LE-VMRT is a modifiable injury risk factor, future studies should examine the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve LE-VMRT and the impact on self-reported HRQOL.

Talar-Cartilage Deformation and Spatiotemporal Gait Patterns in Individuals With and Those Without Chronic Ankle Instability.

CONTEXT: Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) present with alterations in the compositional structure of their talar articular cartilage. These alterations likely influence how the talar cartilage responds to the loading associated with activities of daily living, such as walking. Ultrasonography has emerged as an alternative imaging modality for assessing the amount of cartilage deformation in response to loading because it is clinically accessible and cost effective for routine measurements. OBJECTIVES: To (1) compare talar-cartilage deformation in response to a standardized exercise protocol between those with and those without CAI and (2) examine the association between spatiotemporal walking gait parameters and cartilage deformation. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A volunteer sample of 24 participants with self-reported CAI (age = 23.2 ± 3.9 years, body mass index [BMI] = 25.1 ± 3.7 kg/m2) and 24 uninjured controls (age = 24.3 ± 2.9 years, BMI = 22.9 ± 2.8 kg/m2). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Spatiotemporal walking gait was first assessed from 5 self-selected trials using an electronic walkway with data sampled at 120 Hz. An 8- to 13-MHz linear-array ultrasound transducer placed transversely in line with the medial and lateral malleoli captured 3 images before and after a standardized loading protocol consisting of 30 single- and double-limb squats, 2-minute single-limb balance, and 10 single-legged drops from a 40-cm-height box. RESULTS: After controlling for BMI, we found that the participants with CAI had greater deformation than the uninjured control participants (P = .034). No other between-groups differences were observed (P values > .05). No significant partial correlations were noted between talar-cartilage deformation and spatiotemporal gait parameters when controlling for BMI (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with CAI had greater talar-cartilage deformation in response to a standardized exercise protocol than control individuals. The amount of talar-cartilage deformation was not associated with the spatiotemporal walking gait.

Differences in health-related quality of life among patients after ankle injury.

Ankle sprains are the most common injuries sustained in the physically active, often associated with pain and functional limitations long after initial recovery. In recent years, the impact of ankle sprains on general health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been noted in athletes, but is not well-documented in the general population. We examined differences in HRQoL and general health between individuals with ankle sprain history and healthy controls. Those with ankle sprain reported significantly higher body mass index and general body pain, and lower SF-8 physical component scores than healthy controls. Additionally, there is some indication that physical activity is lower in those with ankle sprain history. This is an important step in illustrating the adverse sequelae of ankle sprains on population health and HRQoL.

Jump landing among chronic ankle instability individuals who did or did not attend rehabilitation at the time of injury.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to compare vertical ground reaction forces and sagittal-plane energy dissipation patterns of the lower extremity during a single-limb jump-stabilization task between individuals with chronic ankle instability who did or did not attend rehabilitation after their initial ankle sprain. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Eight participants with chronic ankle instability who did and 12 participants who did not attend rehabilitation were enrolled. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Normalized vertical ground reaction force data were used to calculate the average loading rate, time to peak force, and the peak force. Sagittal plane kinematics and joint moments at the ankle, knee, and hip, were used to calculate each joint's relative energy dissipation at 50, 100, 150, and 200 ms post-landing. RESULTS: Participants who attended rehabilitation had a slower average loading rate (P = 0.025) and smaller peak vertical ground reaction force (P = 0.025). The average relative energy dissipation at the knee was higher in those who attended rehabilitation at the 100 ms (P = 0.041), 150 ms (P = 0.046), and 200 ms (P = 0.042) time intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Attending rehabilitation after an ankle sprain may have a beneficial effect on jump-stabilization outcomes among individuals with chronic ankle instability.

Assessments Used by Athletic Trainers to Decide Return-to-Activity Readiness in Patients.

CONTEXT: Patients with ankle sprains are often cared for by athletic trainers (ATs). Expert consensus was previously established for Rehabilitation-Oriented Assessments (ROASTs) that should be included in ankle sprain evaluations. However, it is unknown what methods ATs use to determine return-to-activity readiness following an ankle sprain. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to identify ATs' methods for determining patients' return-to-activity readiness following an ankle sprain and demographic determinants of ATs' methods. SETTING: Online survey Study Design: Cross-sectional study Level of Evidence: CEBM Level 1 Participants: We recruited 10,000 clinically practicing ATs. A total of 676 accessed the survey, 574 submitted responses (85% completion rate), and 541 respondents met inclusion criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We distributed an online survey to participants to ask them about their assessment of pain, swelling, range of motion, arthrokinematics, strength, balance, gait, functional capacity, physical activity level, and patient-reported outcomes in deciding return-to-activity. Descriptive statistics characterized participant demographics and frequencies of assessment measures used by ATs. Chi-square analyses identified relationships between demographics and assessment selection. RESULTS: Pain, swelling, range of motion, strength, balance, gait, and functional capacity were assessed by 76-97% of ATs. Arthrokinematics, physical activity level, and patient-reported outcomes were assessed by 25-36% of participants. When selecting specific assessment methods, ATs often did not use recommended ROASTs. ATs with higher degrees, more advance educational programs, employment in non-traditional settings, more clinical experience, and familiarity with expert consensus recommendations were more likely to use ROASTs. CONCLUSIONS: Before approving return-to-activity for patients with ankle sprains, some recommended outcomes and assessment methods are not evaluated by ATs. Practice in non-traditional settings, more advanced degrees, more clinical experience, and familiarity with expert-consensus guidelines appear to facilitate use of ROASTs.

Psychological impairments in individuals with history of ankle sprain: a systematic review.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can be used to assess and monitor psychological health following musculoskeletal injury. Studies have reported decreased psychological health after lateral ankle sprain (LAS) using numerous PROs. The purpose of this systematic review was to critically evaluate individual studies, summarize PROs utilized to quantify psychological health, and examine the effect of ankle injury on psychological health between groups (1 LAS, >1 LAS, and healthy controls). Databases searched included: CINAHL, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, APA, Psychinfo and PubMed Central. All case-control studies were critically appraised using the modified Downs and Black. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated between the groups (1 LAS, >1 LAS, healthy control) for each of the identified studies, for each included PRO used to quantify psychological impairments. Nine high-quality manuscripts were included. Overall, individuals with history of > 1 LAS self-reported greater psychological impairments compared to healthy controls (ES range = -0.37-12.16), while those with 1 LAS had similar psychological health to healthy control groups (ES rang e = -0.65-0.65). Conclusion: The main findings from this systematic review were individuals with > 1 LAS have increased levels of injury-related fear and decreased psychological health compared to healthy controls. PROs can aid clinicians in identifying psychological health concerns during rehabilitation.

Corticospinal activity during a single-leg stance in people with chronic ankle instability.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine whether corticospinal excitability and inhibition of the tibialis anterior during single-leg standing differs among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI), lateral ankle sprain copers, and healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-three participants with CAI, 23 lateral ankle sprain copers, and 24 healthy control participants volunteered. Active motor threshold (AMT), normalized motor-evoked potential (MEP), and cortical silent period (CSP) were evaluated by transcranial magnetic stimulation while participants performed a single-leg standing task. RESULTS: Participants with CAI had significantly longer CSP at 100% of AMT and lower normalized MEP at 120% of AMT compared to lateral ankle sprain copers (CSP100%: p = 0.003; MEP120%: p = 0.044) and controls (CSP100%: p = 0.041; MEP120%: p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: This investigation demonstrate altered corticospinal excitability and inhibition of the tibialis anterior during single-leg standing in participants with CAI. Further research is needed to examine the effects of corticospinal maladaptations to motor control of the tibial anterior on postural control performance in those with CAI.

Isometric Hip Strength and Patient-Reported Outcomes of Individuals With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability.

CONTEXT: Strength deficits and decreased scores on generic, dimension-specific, and region-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) PRO measures are commonly documented among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). However, it is unknown if there is a relationship between hip strength and self-reported patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores. OBJECTIVE: To compare isometric peak torque for hip-extension (H-EXT) and hip-abduction (H-ABD), as well as PRO scores between CAI, lateral ankle sprain copers (LAS copers), and uninjured controls (UC). The secondary purpose was to examine the relationship between isometric hip peak torque and PROs in participants with CAI. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-three individuals, 45 women (23.02 [3.83] y, 165.91 [7.55] cm, 67.28 [11.95] kg) and 18 men (26.28 [5.43] y, 179.28 [9.01] cm, 83.87 [13.26] kg), grouped as uninjured control (n = 26), LAS coper (n = 15), or CAI (n = 22). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure was used to assess region-specific HRQL. The Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire was used to assess injury-related fear. The Disablement in Physically Active was used to assess global HRQL. Isometric peak torque was measured with a handheld dynamometer for H-EXT and H-ABD. RESULTS: No group differences were observed for H-ABD (P = .34) or H-EXT (P = .35). The CAI group had significantly worse scores on all PROs compared with LAS coper (P < .001) and HC (P < .001). Moderate-weak correlations were found between H-ABD and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-activities of daily living (P = .047; ρ = .392) and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Sport (P = .013; ρ = .482) and H- EXT and Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire-Work (P = .007; ρ = -.517). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with CAI displayed lower HRQL based on worse scores on generic, dimension-specific, and region-specific PROs compared with LAS copers and uninjured controls. There were no significant between-group differences for H-EXT and H-ABD isometric peak torque production, but there was a moderate positive relationship between isometric H-ABD and self-reported ankle disability in individuals with CAI.

Reliability of Manually Segmenting T1ρ Magnetic Resonance Sequences of Talar Articular Cartilage.

CONTEXT: Quantifying early posttraumatic ankle osteoarthritis pathogenesis using compositional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences is becoming more common. These MR sequences are often manually segmented to isolate the cartilage of interest before cartilage compositional values (eg, T1ρ or T2) are quantified. However, limited information is available regarding the reliability and reproducibility of manual segmentation for the entire talar dome. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of manually segmenting T1ρ MR sequences of the entire talar dome and 4 subregions of interest. DESIGN: Descriptive observational study. SETTING: Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Ten uninjured healthy individuals (4M and 6F: 21.40 [3.03] y, 170.00 [7.93] cm, 71.03 [14.97] kg) participated. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Two investigators manually segmented 10 T1ρ ankle MR sequences using ITK-SNAP software to calculate T1ρ mean relaxation times and cartilage volumes. Each observer repeated the segmentation twice, with segmentations separated by 1 month. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals and root mean square coefficient of variations (RMSCVs). RESULTS: For T1ρ relaxation time, intraobserver (ICC = .994-.997, RMSCV = 1.31%-1.51%) and interobserver reliability (ICC = .990, RMSCV = 2.36%) was excellent for the overall talar dome. Excellent intraobserver (ICC = .975-.980, RMSCV = 3.88%-4.59%) and excellent interobserver reliability (ICC = .970, RMSCV = 5.13%) was noted for overall talar cartilage volume. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that manual segmentation of the entire talar dome from a T1ρ MR is reliable and repeatable.

Joint Stabilization Surgery for Chronic Ankle Instability and Medial Ankle Osteoarthritis: A Critically Appraised Topic.

Clinical Scenario: Patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) who require surgical intervention are often diagnosed with medial ankle osteoarthritis (OA). Lateral joint stabilization procedures are commonly performed among this patient population to restore bony alignment and improve cartilage loading patterns to increase patient-reported function and mitigate further degenerative changes. Focused Clinical Question: What is the available evidence to support joint stabilization procedures on patient-reported outcomes and progression of radiographic OA among patients with CAI who have medial ankle OA? Summary of Key Findings: An electronic search of relevant databases was performed to identify peer-reviewed articles examining preoperative and postoperative clinical outcomes and radiographic evidence of ankle OA. A total of 3 peer-reviewed articles were retrieved. All 3 articles employed a retrospective case series study design. All 3 articles demonstrated improved patient-reported outcomes at the final follow-up visit. Two articles demonstrated that between 11% and 27% of patients progressed in at least 1stage of radiographic ankle OA between the preoperative assessment and the final follow-up visit (40-56 mo). Clinical Bottom Line: Joint stabilization surgery for patients with CAI and medial ankle OA is associated with improved clinical outcomes and a low rate of worsening radiographic joint degeneration within the first 5 years. Strength of Recommendation: Consistent evidence exists across all 3 articles. However, this evidence is based on a low-quality study design. Therefore, there is a grade-C level of evidence to support joint stabilization for improving patient-reported and radiographic outcomes within the first 5 years after surgery for patients with CAI and medial ankle OA.