Optimizing Retention on Duty in Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability Using Auditory Biofeedback Gait Training: A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial
University of Kentucky
Summary
The goal of this randomized clinical controlled trial is examine the effects of gait training with auditory biofeedback (AudFB) on gait biomechanics, clinical measures of ankle joint health, and patient-centered outcomes. The following specific aims will achieve this objective: * Specific Aim 1: Determine if a 6-week gait training with AudFB intervention improves lower extremity biomechanics compared to a Control condition in participants with CAI. * Specific Aim 2: Determine if a 6-week gait training with AudFB reduces talar cartilage deformation compared to a Control condition in participants with CAI. * Specific Aim 3: Determine if a 6-week gait training with AudFB reduces episodes of ankle giving-way and reduces self-perceived severity of symptoms relative to a Control condition in participants with CAI. Participants will: * Complete 12 intervention sessions over a 6-week period of walking, ruck marching, and runninig. * Complete testing sessions before and after the intervention, then after 6 and 12-months following the intervention.
Description
Background: Ankle injuries account for the highest musculoskeletal injuries among conventional and special warfare combatants. In the civilian population, 40% of lateral ankle sprain patients will develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). If the same frequency is true in military settings, then up to 36,800 service members develop CAI annually. CAI contributes to the total number of medically non-available service members, creates a substantial economic burden, impacts the quality of duty-relevant task performance, and generates a large population of service members who require long-term care a…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Physically active adults (defined as participants reporting a score of =4 on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Activity Instrument and indicating they can run for at least 20 consecutive minutes) * History of ankle sprain * 2 episodes of "giving way" in the past 6-months * must answer "yes" to =5 questions on the Ankle Instability Instrument (AII) and =11 on the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability (IdFAI) Exclusion Criteria: * an ankle sprain in the previous four weeks or lower extremity neuromusculoskeletal injury other than to the an…
Interventions
- OtherWalking
Weeks 1-2, Sessions 1-4: The first condition will be walking with the speed self-selected based on "a comfortable pace to walk for exercise" as determined during the Baseline testing session. This speed will be held constant for the 10-minute walking portion prior to each condition but will be progressed for the remaining walking condition sessions (Sessions 2-4). The minimum speed will be limited to 1 mph.
- OtherRucking
Weeks 3-4, Session 5-8: The second condition will require participants to wear a standard rucksack equal to 20% of their body weight (minimum ruck weight: 15 pounds, maximum ruck weight: 45 pounds). The initial speed used during this condition will be self-selected based on "a comfortable pace to walk for exercise carrying this weight" as determined during the Baseline testing session.
- OtherRunning
Weeks 5-6, Sessions 9-12: The final condition is running. The self-selected running pace will be chosen as a pace that the participant can "sustain for a leisure run for 20 minutes," as determined at the Baseline testing session. Participants will only run for the 15-minute condition period.
Locations (2)
- University of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky
- University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, North Carolina