Evaluating Auditory Biofeedback Gait Training to Improve Ankle Stability in Adults with Chronic Ankle Instability

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the effects of gait training with auditory biofeedback AudFB on walking biomechanics, ankle joint health, and patient-centered outcomes in adults with chronic ankle instability CAI. The study focuses on whether a 6-week gait training program with AudFB can improve lower limb biomechanics, reduce cartilage deformation, and decrease ankle giving-way episodes compared to a control group. The trial is a randomized controlled study conducted at multiple sites involving physically active adults aged 18 to 45 with a history of ankle sprains and instability. Participants are randomly assigned to either an AudFB group or a control group. Both groups complete 12 supervised gait training sessions over 6 weeks, each lasting about 25 minutes. Sessions involve walking, ruck marching with a weighted backpack, and running at self-selected comfortable paces. The AudFB group receives real-time feedback through in-shoe force sensors, while the control group wears the sensors without auditory feedback. Both groups wear standard athletic shoes and wireless insoles to standardize the intervention. Participants undergo testing before and after the intervention, then at 6 and 12 months post-intervention. Assessments include measuring lower extremity biomechanics during various walking and running activities, evaluating talar cartilage deformation using ultrasound, and tracking ankle instability episodes and symptom severity through patient reports. The studys main outcomes focus on changes in biomechanical forces, cartilage health, and self-perceived ankle function to understand the short- and long-term effects of the gait training program.

Auditory Biofeedback Gait Training Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability