Ankle Mobility and Balance in a Healthy College-Aged Population: A Correlational Study
Abstract
A review of current literature shows a relationship between ankle mobility and balance in an older population, with limited evidence in younger, healthy populations. To bridge this gap, this study aims to explore this relationship in a healthy, college-aged population. Maintaining upright balance is an integrated effort by the vestibular, somatosensory, and visual systems. Regaining a loss of balance happens with three strategies: an ankle strategy for small perturbations, a hip strategy for moderate perturbations, and a stepping strategy for the largest loss to regain a new base of support. Taking these sequential responses into account, the investigators specifically looked into the ankle joint as it is the first potential region to limit postural and balance strategies. Twenty-eight subjects (20.1 ± 0.9 years) were asked to undergo two procedures. First, ankle goniometry was performed on four motions: dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion. The first two used a trusted smartphone application to obtain measurements, while the latter two used a goniometer. Next, the BioSway BESS Test was performed to objectively measure balance. Pearson’s Correlation testing, using SPSS Software, showed no significant correlation (p