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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01658709

Predicting Ankle Injury Through Clinical Functional Measures in Adolescent Athletes

The objective of this study is to determine if a clinical measure can be used effectively to predict ankle injury in high school and collegiate athletes across a variety of sports.

Hypothesis: For each ankle injury category (lateral ankle sprain, medial ankle sprain, syndesmosis ankle sprain, Achilles rupture, fracture) participants that suffer these injuries will have a significantly lower SEBT normalized composite score and FMS composite score compared to those participants that do not suffer the injury

Hypothesis #1b: Similar to a previous study examining high school basketball players22, using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, we will be able to calculate likelihood ratios, odds ratios, sensitivity and specificity and determine the ideal cut-off point of the SEBT normalized composite score and FMS composite score that will be able to predict the risk of each ankle injury category (lateral ankle sprain, medial ankle sprain, syndesmosis ankle sprain, Achilles rupture, fracture).

Athletes from identified sites will perform measures of the star excursion balance test (SEBT) and the Functional Movement Screen FMS before the first day of practice. During the competition season, the number of practice and competition person exposures, as well as the number of ankle injuries, will be recorded. The rate of ankle injuries/exposure will be calculated and compared with the pre-season SEBT scores to create a simple and a complex prediction model for risk of ankle injury

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Key information

Conditions

Other Instability, Ankle and Foot

Age range

14 year–24 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio, 43614, United States

About this study

The objective of this study is to determine if a clinical measure of dynamic postural control, the star excursion balance test (SEBT), and a simple functional testing battery, the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), can be used effectively to predict ankle injury in high school and collegiate athletes across a variety of sports.

Males and females between the ages of 14 and 24 enrolled at one of three designated high schools in Toledo, OH or at the University of Toledo will be recruited for this study. Eligible participants will be signed up and medically cleared to participate in football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, and/or cross country during the 2012/2013 academic year. Participants will be healthy and must be cleared by a physician for full participation at the time of enrollment in the study. All the enrolled student athletes will be made aware of the study and the requested prior to their pre-season physicals by the coaching staff and ATC prior to the beginning of the first day of practice. Consent and assent will be obtained using appropriate university approved forms. In this prospective study design, pre-season dynamic postural control data and previous injury history will be collected from the high school and collegiate athletes. These athletic facilities are all serviced by certified Athletic Trainers (ATC) and physicians associated with the University of Toledo and the University of Toledo Medical Center. Prior to the beginning of the 2012/2013 competition seasons, athletes from the identified sites will, as part of their pre-season physical exam requirements, perform measures of the SEBT and the FMS before the first day of practice. The performance of the SEBT and the FMS are explained in detail in the attached protocol. During the competition season, the number of practice and competition person exposures, as well as the number of ankle injuries, will be recorded by the ATC at each school. Injury incidence is explained in detail in the attached protocol. At the end of the competition seasons, the rate of ankle injuries/exposure will be calculated and compared with the pre-season SEBT scores to create a simple and a complex prediction model for risk of ankle injury.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adolescent Athletes between 14 and 24
  • Enrolled in designate area high schools

Exclusion criteria

-

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Dynamic Balance: (Star Excursion Balance Test)

    Time frame: baseline

    The clinical measure of dynamic postural control is represented as a reaching distance normalized to leg length. This is calculated by taking the average liner reaching distance (cm) of the test trials and dividing by the participant's leg length (anterior superior iliac spine to the inferior pole of the medial malleolus of the tibia), also in cm. The resulting ratio is multiplied by 100 and the measure reported as "% of leg length". This value was established in the literature as the standard outcome for reporting Star Excursion Balance Test data.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Toledo Health Science Campus

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Using Dynamic Postural Control and Functional Testing to Predict Ankle Injury in Adolescent Athletes

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Aug 7, 2012
Registry last updated
Jul 23, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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