Assessments of Sensorimotor Deficits Used in Randomized Clinical Trials With Individuals With Ankle Sprains and Chronic Ankle Instability: A Scoping Review

The main purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the most common tasks and outcome measures in randomized control trials (RCTs) used to assess sensorimotor function following ankle sprain and chronic ankle instability (CAI). We also aimed to summarize the description of inclusion criteria used in articles. We searched for RCTs published between 2008 and 2018 using the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Eligible studies included participants of either sex who had had at least one ankle sprain with/without subsequent CAI. All articles assessed sensorimotor function. The tasks, outcome measures, and inclusion criteria were categorized, and frequencies of use in each category were calculated. Of 272 publications, 31 met the eligibility criteria. The most common task was single-limb stance (58% of 31). The most common outcome measure was the posterior-medial reach distance of the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) (13 of 16 articles, 81%). Different inclusion criteria for a history of ankle sprains or CAI were used. A wide range of sensorimotor assessments and inclusion criteria was used among studies involving individuals with a history of ankle sprain with or without CAI, which could make it difficult to compare and generalize study results. This scoping review provides a baseline for planning future studies exploring outcome measures to assess sensorimotor function of individuals with a history of ankle sprain with or without CAI.

Automated summary

This scoping review summarized tasks, outcome measures, and inclusion criteria commonly used in RCTs assessing sensorimotor function following ankle sprain and CAI. It found that single-limb stance was the most common task, posterior-medial reach distance of the SEBT was the most common outcome measure, and different inclusion criteria were used. The wide range of assessments and criteria used could complicate comparisons and generalizations of study results.