Article

Our objective is to investigate the effects of proprioceptive
exercises rehabilitation on isokinetic strength and postural balance in athletes
with sprain ankle. METHODS: The ankles of 16 subjects were tested:
eight in the functional instability (FI) group and eight non-injured (NI)
subjects in the control group. Subjects were asked to take part in a testing
session. The test order for the postural stability and isokinetic strength tests
was randomized to avoid learning or fatigue effects. The testing session started
with a 5-minute warm-up. Subjects were then instructed to perform several lower
body flexibility exercises. The test procedure consisted in static assessments,
where single-limb (right and left) stance postural stability was assessed. Three
practice trials were allowed for each subject. The assessment quantifies postural
sway velocity while the athlete stands calmly on one foot on the force plate, for
each leg. They were asked to stand as still as possible for 30s, upper limbs
along the body. The subjects were requested to maintain balance with eyes open
and then with the eyes closed on the firm surface. The sway velocity (in degrees
per second) is given for all trials. Subjects were allowed a 1-minute rest
between tests. The regime of isokinetic evaluation of dorsi-plantar flexions is
concentric, with three successive speeds: slow (30 degrees /s, reps 5), average
(60 degrees /s, reps 10), and fast (120 degrees /s, reps 15), according to the
protocol established by European Group for the development and the isokinetic
research and the procedural guidelines. Relative moment of strength and times of
acceleration and deceleration were calculated for each set of isokinetic testing
repetitions per body side, muscle group and testing speed. RESULTS: The results
of tests-retest and between both groups (injured vs. healthy) show that after
eight weeks of proprioceptive work, significant increase of maximal strength,
decrease in times of acceleration and deceleration at the level of plantar
flexors and better stability of the injured limb at slow and average (P<0.05).
For the healthy limb, improvements varying from 1 to 39% were obtained between
test and retest on all the variables. However, these variations were not
statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Proprioceptive training exercises can
effectively stabilize an unstable ankle above for muscular and postural control.
However, 8 weeks does not assess whether we have achieved maximum effect. In
addition, we do not know to what extent these effects will continue over time. It
would be interesting to later re-evaluate the athletes for the effect of this
treatment, which is based on a proprioceptive training program on a year or more.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS ; FRANCAIS