Ankle Stability and Dynamic Single-Leg Balance in Collegiate Jumping Athletes versus Non-Athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare ankle stability and dynamic single-leg balance between jumping athletes and non-athletes, and to examine the correlation between ankle stability and dynamic single-leg balance. Thirty-eight jumping athletes and thirty-seven non-athletes participated in this study. The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) was used to assess ankle stability. The Y-Balance Test (YBT) was used to examine single-leg balance in the anterior (AN), posteromedial (PM), and posterolateral (PL) directions. The results show that 42.11% of jumping athletes and 21.62% of non-athletes exhibited chronic ankle instability (CAI) in their examined leg. In addition, jumping athletes exhibited significantly worse ankle stability than non-athletes (p = 0.038). The two groups showed no significant difference in the YBT scores in all directions (p = 0.113 AN, 0.567 PM, 0.542 PL). Very low correlations were found between the CAIT and the YBT scores in all directions (r < 0.107). In conclusion, single-leg jumping athletes experienced a higher prevalence of CAI and significantly worse ankle stability than non-athletes. However, the results of the YBT did not correlate strongly with the CAIT scores, suggesting an inability to predict dynamic single-leg balance deficits based on perceived ankle stability alone in this population.