VIRTUAL REALITY VERSUS BIODEX TRAINING IN ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC ANKLE INSTABILITY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

T. Shousha^1,2, N. Abo-Zaid³, H. Hamada⁴, M. Abdelsamee⁵, M. Behiry⁶

¹College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Physiotherapy, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, ²Faculty of Physical Therapy / Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, ³Faculty of Physical Therapy, South Valley University, Department of Physical Therapy for Pediatrics, Qena, Egypt, ⁴Faculty of Physical Therapy / Cairo University, Biomechanics, Cairo, Egypt, ⁵Faculty of Physical Therapy, Delta University for Science and Technology, Department of Basic Science, Gamasa, Egypt, ⁶Faculty of Physical Therapy, Delta University for Science and Technology, Department of Physical Therapy for Orthopedics and Its Surgery, Gamasa, Egypt

Background: Ankle instability is a common injury in athletes, affecting the quality of life, functional limitation, as well as static and dynamic balance. To date, several studies have been reported comparing Virtual reality and Biodex balance training in cases of Ankle Sprain, but to our knowledge, none has addressed adolescent athletes.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of virtual reality and Biodex balance training in the treatment of ankle instability in adolescent athletes.

Methods: Ninety football players were enrolled in this study after the assessment of their eligibility. Their age ranged from 12 to 16 years. They were randomly allocated to three groups of equal numbers.
Group 1 received a guideline protocol,
group 2 received the same guideline protocol in addition to Wii Sport Training, and
group 3 received the same guideline protocol in addition to Biodex balance training.
All groups received treatment protocols three times a week for 3 months. Outcome measures included the stability indices (overall stability, anteroposterior stability, and mediolateral) measured by the Biodex Balance System as well as ankle instability measured by the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool. Measurements were collected at the baseline and after 3 months of treatment.

Results: Post-treatment findings revealed a statistically significant decrease in the overall, anteroposterior, and mediolateral stability indices, as well as significant increase in Cumberland Ankle Instability outcomes of all groups (p < 0.05). On the other hand, there were no statistically significant differences between the virtual reality and Biodex balance training groups.

Conclusions: Virtual reality training has a significant effect which appears to be similar to the Biodex balance training in adolescent athletes with chronic ankle instability.

Implications: Virtual reality can be incorporated as a viable tool in the rehabilitation of chronic ankle sprains in the adolescent population.

Funding acknowledgements: This research did not receive funding

Keywords:
ankle
instability
Virtual reality

Topics:
Musculoskeletal: lower limb
Sport & sports injuries

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University

Committee: Ethical Review Committee of the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University

Ethics number: P.T.REC/012/002877