Does ankle support orthosis and kinesio tape affect evertor muscles strength and their ability to control force signal in chronic ankle instability? A randomized controlled trial.

Study Summary

60 participants with chronic ankle instability (CAI) were randomized to receive an ankle support orthosis (n = 20), Kinesio taping (KT) (n = 20), or no intervention (n = 20). The primary outcomes of interest were ankle evertor force sense and force steadiness. Secondary outcomes included maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), concentric evertor muscle strength, and fear of movement assessed using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 4 weeks. Overall, the results revealed that both ankle orthosis and KT improved certain measures of evertor muscle strength and reduced kinesiophobia, although neither intervention significantly improved force sense, and no significant differences were observed between groups in post hoc comparisons. These findings suggested that external ankle supports could offer short-term neuromuscular and psychological benefits in individuals with CAI, although neither approach demonstrated clear superiority.