Marcos J Navarro-Santana1, Daniel Albert-Lucena2, Guido F Gómez-Chiguano3, Gustavo Plaza-Manzano4, César Fernández-de-Las-Peñas5, Joshua Cleland6, Ángel Pérez-Silvestre7, Iván Asín-Izquierdo8. 1. Health and Rehabilitation Center San Fernando (Centro Médico Rehabilitación San Fernando), Madrid, Spain. 2. Mutua Universal, Madrid, Spain. 3. Podiatry University Clinic, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4. Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Del Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 5. Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: cesar.fernandez@urjc.es. 6. Department of Physical Therapy, Franklin Pierce University, Manchester, NH, USA; Rehabilitation Services, Concord Hospital, NH, USA; Manual Therapy Fellowship Program, Regis University, Denver, CO, USA. 7. Centre for Sports Medicine, Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sports (AEPSAD in its Spanish acronym), Madrid, Spain. 8. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is reported after ankle sprain. Our aim was to assess differences in mechanical pain sensitivity of lower extremity nerve trunks and physical performance between amateur soccer players with and without CAI. DESIGN: A cross-sectional case-control study. SETTING: Amateur soccer teams. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-five male soccer players, 28 with and 27 without CAI participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The perceived instability was assessed with the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT). Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) on the common peroneal and tibialis nerve trunks, vertical jump, lateral step-down test and joint position sense of the knee were assessed by a blinded assessor. RESULTS: Soccer players with CAI showed lower PPTs over the common peroneal nerve than those without CAI (between-groups mean difference: 1.0 ± 0.8 kg/cm2, P < 0.001). No differences for PPT over the tibialis posterior (P = 0.078) or any physical performance outcome (knee joint positioning sense [P = 0.798], lateral step-down test [P = 0.580] and vertical jump variables [all, P > 0.310]) were found. PPT over the common peroneal nerve exhibited a significant moderate correlation with the CAIT score (r = 0.528, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Amateur soccer players with CAI have higher pressure pain sensitivity over the common peroneal nerve but exhibit similar physical performance to amateur soccer players without CAI.
OBJECTIVE:Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is reported after ankle sprain. Our aim was to assess differences in mechanical pain sensitivity of lower extremity nerve trunks and physical performance between amateur soccer players with and without CAI. DESIGN: A cross-sectional case-control study. SETTING: Amateur soccer teams. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-five male soccer players, 28 with and 27 without CAI participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The perceived instability was assessed with the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT). Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) on the common peroneal and tibialis nerve trunks, vertical jump, lateral step-down test and joint position sense of the knee were assessed by a blinded assessor. RESULTS: Soccer players with CAI showed lower PPTs over the common peroneal nerve than those without CAI (between-groups mean difference: 1.0 ± 0.8 kg/cm2, P < 0.001). No differences for PPT over the tibialis posterior (P = 0.078) or any physical performance outcome (knee joint positioning sense [P = 0.798], lateral step-down test [P = 0.580] and vertical jump variables [all, P > 0.310]) were found. PPT over the common peroneal nerve exhibited a significant moderate correlation with the CAIT score (r = 0.528, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Amateur soccer players with CAI have higher pressure pain sensitivity over the common peroneal nerve but exhibit similar physical performance to amateur soccer players without CAI.