1. The Role of Hip Abductor Strength in Ankle Sprains Among High School Physical Education Students
Robert Confer, Danielle Doggett, Andrew Noble, Brooke Sallee, Dale F. Blair, ATC
Wenatchee High School, Wenatchee Washington

2. Hypothesis
Individuals with ankle sprains would exhibit weakness in the involved hip abductors.

3. Kinetic Chain
“Weakest Link”- forces and stress from a weak link (joint) can be transferred up or down the chain.
Hip weakness had been considered a factor in ACL injuries (find a reference).
Why not the hip weakness playing a role in ankle sprains?

4. Nicholas, AJSM (1976)

5. Methods
High school physical education/health students were randomly selected to complete questionnaire regarding previous injuries to the ankle.
An ankle injury was defined as time loss injury where a the student would miss at least one day of athletics or physical education class.

6. Methods The 20 individuals with ankle injuries were selected.
The remaining 20 subjects were randomly selected.

7. Methods
Tested isokinetically on the Lido (Lordean, West Sacramento, CA)

8. Methods
The subjects were tested in Hip abduction for 5 repetitions (after a 5 minute ergometer warm-up, 5 warm-up and 3 submaximal (75%) trial repetitions on the Lido)

9. Results
70% of the ankle sprain subjects (at both 60º/sec and 180º/sec.) demonstrated hip abduction weakness on the involved side.

10. Results
80% of the control group (non-ankle injury) experienced a significant difference (>10% side to side) in hip abduction strength.
65% of the sprained subjects experienced a significant difference (>10% side to side) in hip abduction strength.

11. Conclusion The results were mixed.
Control group (non-sprain) experienced a greater side-to-side differences than the experimental group (sprain).

12. Disscussion
The factors may have included inexperienced subjects and lack of effort by the subjects.

13. Where to go from here?
Changes in the study design - Athletic populations familiar with concept of maximal effort (often difficult with y/o group)
Larger sample group
Use of functional testing

14. Thank You!