Neuromuscular contributions to functional instability of the ankle joint

Sprain of the lateral ankle ligaments are one of the most common injuries encountered during athletic participation. Following initial injury there is an alarmingly high risk of re-injury and the development of residual symptoms such as pain, swelling and "giving way'' of the ankle joint. These symptoms have been given the generic term chronic ankle instability (CAI). Two causes of CAI reported in the literature are mechanical instability (MI) and functional instability (FI). FI is a distinct phenomenon to MI with many neuromuscular contributing factors being reported. The purpose of this literature review is to describe those neuromuscular factors associated with FI. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.