Auditory biofeedback gait training for chronic ankle instability
Optimizing Retention on Duty in Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability Using Auditory Biofeedback Gait Training: A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial
This test will try using sound feedback during walking, rucking, and running to improve gait mechanics and reduce giving-way episodes in physically active adults with chronic ankle instability.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 45 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Kentucky Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Lexington, Kentucky and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT06868316 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized controlled trial will assign physically active adults with chronic ankle instability to a six-week gait training program using auditory biofeedback or to a control condition. Participants will complete 12 supervised sessions over six weeks involving walking, ruck marching, and running, with biomechanical and clinical testing before and after the intervention. Primary outcomes include lower-extremity biomechanics, talar cartilage deformation, frequency of giving-way episodes, and patient-reported symptom severity. The protocol is designed to detect short- and longer-term changes in movement patterns and ankle joint health.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Physically active adults who can run at least 20 consecutive minutes, have a history of ankle sprain, at least two giving-way episodes in the past six months, and meet AII and IdFAI thresholds are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with an ankle sprain within the past four weeks, recent lower-extremity injury other than the ankle, prior lower-extremity surgery or recent serious fracture, neurological/vestibular/visual disorders, or current formal ankle rehabilitation are unlikely to be eligible or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve gait mechanics, reduce giving-way episodes and symptom severity, and potentially protect talar cartilage to lower future ankle degeneration risk.
How similar studies have performed: Gait biofeedback has produced biomechanical improvements in other lower-extremity conditions, but auditory biofeedback specifically applied to chronic ankle instability is relatively novel and not yet well-established.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Physically active adults (defined as participants reporting a score of =4 on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Activity Instrument and indicating they can run for at least 20 consecutive minutes) * History of ankle sprain * 2 episodes of "giving way" in the past 6-months * must answer "yes" to =5 questions on the Ankle Instability Instrument (AII) and =11 on the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability (IdFAI) Exclusion Criteria: * an ankle sprain in the previous four weeks or lower extremity neuromusculoskeletal injury other than to the ankle in the last 12 months * history of surgery in the lower extremity * fracture to the lower extremity in the past 12 months or a fracture that required open-reduction internal fixation * history of neurological disease, vestibular or visual disturbance or any other pathology that would impair sensorimotor performance or gait * current participation in a formal ankle joint rehabilitation program * a concussion in the last 12 months * report a cardiovascular, metabolic, or renal disease, or signs and symptoms that suggest such condition or have been told by a medical provider not to engage in vigorous physical activity (such as running).
Where this trial is running
Lexington, Kentucky and 1 other locations
- University of Kentucky — Lexington, Kentucky, United States (Recruiting)
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte — Charlotte, North Carolina, United States (Not_yet_recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Danielle M Torp, PhD, ATC
- Email: danielle.torp@uky.edu
- Phone: 18593239835
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.