LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Stance foot alignment and hand positioning alter star excursion balance test scores in those with chronic ankle instability: What are we really assessing?

Photo from wikipedia

ABSTRACT Objective: The literature has consistently shown that the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a reliable and valid tool to anticipate the risk of lower extremity injury, assess dynamic… Click to show full abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: The literature has consistently shown that the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a reliable and valid tool to anticipate the risk of lower extremity injury, assess dynamic postural control differences among groups, and assess the effectiveness of balance training programs in both healthy individuals and people with lower extremity injuries. However, there is no standard administration technique for the SEBT in research, clinical practice, or performance settings. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to compare six different combinations (3 different foot alignments × 2 hand positions) on the SEBT performance in those with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Design: Repeated Measures Design. Setting: University Research Laboratory. Participants: Twenty-five university students with CAI (12 males, 13 females; age: 20.3 ± 2.4 years, height: 172.7 ± 7.4 cm, weight: 77.5 ± 15.3 kg., BMI: 25.9 ± 4.0 kg/m2) voluntarily participated in the study. Methods: Six different SEBT positions were used to assess dynamic postural control. Three foot positions: 1) Foot centered; 2) Toe fixed; and 3) Toe-heel changing and two hand placements: 1) Hands free and 2) Hands on the hips were used in this study. After 6familiarization trials for each condition, three Star Excursion Balance Test scores were recorded. Main outcome measures: Normalized reach distance (% of leg length) in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions as well as a composite reach score quantified dynamic postural control. Results: Both foot alignment and hand position significantly altered normalized SEBT reach distance in the anterior (p < 0.003), posteromedial (p < 0.001), posterolateral (p < 0.001), and composite reach scores (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Different foot alignments and hand constraints significantly altered normalized reach distances and the composite score in individuals with CAI. These results do not suggest that any combination of foot alignments and/or hand constraints is superior. However, changing the toe/heel position, while maintaining hands on the hips, may provide the best standardization for clinicians and researchers.

Keywords: excursion balance; star excursion; hand; balance test; foot

Journal Title: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
Year Published: 2017

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.