Effects of a 4-Week Biomechanical Ankle Platform System Protocol on Balance in High School Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability.

Context: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) describes the residual symptoms present after repetitive ankle sprains. Current rehabilitation programs in the high school population focus on a multistation approach or general lower-extremity injury-prevention program. Specific rehabilitation techniques for CAI have not been established.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a 4-wk biomechanical ankle platform system (BAPS) board protocol on the balance of high school athletes with CAI.

Design: Randomized control trial.

Setting: Athletic training facility.

Patients: Twenty-two high school athletes with "giving way" and a history of ankle sprains (ie, CAI) were randomized into a rehabilitation (REH) (166.23 ± 0.93 cm, 67.0 ± 9.47 kg, 16.45 ± 0.93 y) or control (CON) (173.86 ± 8.88 cm, 84.51 ± 21.28 kg, 16.55 ± 1.29 y) group.

Interventions: After baseline measures, the REH group completed a progressive BAPS rehabilitation program (3 times/wk for 4 wk), whereas the CON group had no intervention. Each session consisted of 5 trials of clockwise/counterclockwise rotations changing direction every 10 s during each 40-s trial. After 4 wk, baseline measurements were repeated.

Main Outcome Measures: Dependent measures included longest time (time-in-balance test), average number of errors (foot lift test), average reach distance (cm) normalized to leg length for each reach direction (Star Excursion Balance Test [SEBT]), and fastest time (side hop test [SHT]).

Results: Significant group-by-time interactions were found for TIB (F = 9.89, P = .005), FLT (F = 41.18, P < .001), SEBT-anteromedial (F = 5.34, P = .032), SEBT-medial (F = 7.51, P = .013), SEBT-posteromedial (F = 12.84, P = .002), and SHT (F = 7.50, P = .013). Post hoc testing showed that the REH group improved performance on all measures at posttest, whereas the CON group did not.

Conclusion: A 4-wk BAPS rehabilitation protocol improved balance in high school athletes suffering from CAI. These results can allow clinicians to rehabilitate in a focused manner by using 1 rehabilitation tool that allows benefits to be accomplished in a shorter time.