Efficacy of rehabilitation program and of a prevention program to enhance proprioceptive control of simulated ankle sprain.

Recent research outcome shows (Karlsson et al, Vaes et al) that ankle function during running, jumping and single leg stance is completely different from the movement of the joints of the ankle during ankle sprain. It is therefore not sufficiently specific to use stress Röntgen fotos or stabilometry to evaluate insufficiency of ankle joint stability. Our research group previously showed that accelometric and EMG analysis during ankle sprain simulation were usefull and specific analysing functional control measuring ankle sprain speed and muscle activity. Significant differences of this functional joint stability have been found when comparing populations with normal ankles and functional unstable ankles. The proposed rersearch protocol deals with evaluating the effects of intensive sport activity on dynamic joint stability. This will be carried out by comparing ankles of sedentary individuals with ankles of competeion athletes. A training program will be used further to rehabilitate unstable ankles and to compare pre- with postrehabilitation. results using the validated ankle sprain simulation procedure. A sprain-prevention program will be organised in sportclubs and evaluated using the same simulation procedure before and after the prevention training period. To reach a sufficiently important population of competition atheletes, a video instruction of the researchprocedure for physical therapists and a video with the exercise and training program for trainers, coaches and athletes will be produced.