ANKLE TAPING ALTERS SHANK-REARFOOT JOINT COUPLING DURING WALKING IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ANKLE INSTABILITY AND HEALTHY CONTROLS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the shank-rearfoot joint coupling with and without ankle taping in patients with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI) during walking gait. Twenty-three patients (CAI,n=12, healthy,n=11) participated. Three-dimensional kinematics were collected using a 12 camera motion capture. Fifteen strides were collected while subjects walked. A vector coding analysis was performed to assess the magnitude, direction (?) and variability (VCV) in the coupling between the shank transverse plane and rearfoot frontal plane motion. Both groups had lower magnitude of coupled motion around initial contact while taped. VCV was significantly lower throughout the gait cycle in both groups while taped. Ankle taping appears to create a rigid coupling pattern in both healthy and CAI patients and may explain its role in prophylactically prevention of lateral ankle sprains.