Hamid Abbasi Bafghi, Mohammad Hasan Kordi Ashkezari, Abdolmajid Heratizadeh, Saeed Abedinzadeh,
Volume 23, Issue 29 (7-2025)
Introduction and Objective: Ankle injuries are among the most common sports-related injuries, often caused by factors such as "direct contact with a player or the ground, tackles that push the ankle inward or outward, and during jumping and landing." Among these injuries, lateral ankle sprains are one of the most prevalent types, frequently associated with ankle instability. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of balance training and hopping exercises on the proprioception of athletes with functional ankle instability.
Methods: A total of 30 basketball, volleyball, and handball athletes with functional ankle instability, with a mean age of 24.58 ± 3.626 years and a body mass index (BMI) of 25.681 ± 2.126, were randomly assigned to two groups in a clinical trial. The first group (n=15) performed hopping exercises, while the second group (n=15) performed balance training. Proprioception of their ankle joints was assessed at baseline and after six weeks of training. Data analysis was conducted using paired t-tests and ANCOVA via SPSS version 20.
Results: Both balance training and hopping exercises significantly reduced the absolute error in reconstructing dorsiflexion and plantarflexion angles of the ankle (p<0.05). Additionally, the reduction in absolute error for these angles was significantly greater in the hopping group compared to the balance training group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The findings indicate that both balance training and hopping exercises improve ankle joint proprioception in athletes with functional ankle instability. However, hopping exercises demonstrated greater effectiveness compared to balance training.
