Chronic ankle instability was linked to altered muscle timing during landings
A review found differences in muscle activation and ankle movement during landings with expected or unexpected inward disturbances.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
People with chronic ankle instability showed later activation of the peroneus longus muscle after landing than healthy controls, alongside differences in ankle movement and muscle coordination. Muscle patterns also differed according to whether participants expected the disturbance. These findings describe landing mechanics; they do not show that a particular rehabilitation program prevents injuries.
The abstract omits study-level methods and evidence-certainty ratings. These comparisons cannot establish whether altered landing mechanics cause further injuries or whether rehabilitation prevents them.
What researchers found
Later peroneus longus muscle activation
After landing with a disturbance: chronic ankle instability versus healthy controls. SMD expresses the difference on a standardized scale.
What was studied
The review compared lower-limb movement, forces, and muscle activity during disturbed landings. It considered both disturbances participants anticipated and ones they did not expect; it did not test rehabilitation.
Interpreting muscle differences
The standardized muscle delay cannot be read as milliseconds. Other reported differences included greater inward ankle movement after landing and more tibialis anterior muscle activity before landing.
The original publication
Characteristics of Lower Extremity Kinematics, Kinetics, and Muscle Activity in Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability During Landing With Expected and Unexpected Inversion Perturbations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Gong Y, Xu M, Chen P et al.
J Foot Ankle Res · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40922104
- Record checked
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