Hip strength and dynamic postural control in those with and without chronic ankle instability.

Recurrent injury, perceived instability, and mechanical insufficiencies typically arise following a lateral ankle sprain (LAS), and are collectively referred to as chronic ankle instability (CAI). Those with CAI demonstrate alterations in many functional performance measures, such as dynamic postural control. A growing body of evidence suggests deficits in proximal joint muscle performance may associate with CAI. Exploring these clinical outcome deficits will contribute to new intervention approaches for CAI. The first aim of this study is to determine the extent to which hip joint strength and dynamic postural control differ between those with and without CAI. The second aim is to determine the degree of correlation between hip joint strength and dynamic postural control. We expect hip strength and dynamic postural control to be decreased in CAI. Additionally, we expect hip strength to be positively correlated with dynamic postural control. Thus, isolated proximal muscular insufficiencies in those with CAI are expected to be associated with global functional deficits, which may lead to new therapeutic paradigms for treatment of CAI.