A critical appraisal of “Effects of Hip Strengthening on Neuromuscular Control, Hip Strength, and Self-Reported Functional Deficits in Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability”

This article has been critically appraised in the context of the clinical question: does hip strengthening improve athletes’ balance capability. This appraisal is to build the skill of selecting and critiquing research to implement interventions and modalities safely and effectively in a clinical setting. Athletes are a sizable population of patients that are treated by physical therapists, and ankle injuries are the most frequent injury among that population. Recurrent ankle injuries can lead to ankle instability that can lead to a diminished ability to perform tasks related to ADL’s and an athlete’s sport. In this study, 27 participants were divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group participated in a 4-week hip strengthening protocol. Prior to completion of the training, both groups were tested on a series of outcome measures including hip abduction and external rotation isometric strength, the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), and the self-reported Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM). After the protocol, both groups were retested on these outcome measures. The treatment group was found to be significantly improved compared to the control in the measures of abduction and external rotation strength, BESS errors, and SEBT scores posterolaterally and posteromedially. The training group was also found to have significant improvement in SEBT scores anteriorly, and sport FAAM scores when compared to their initial values. The authors used clear, valid, and methods to complete this study as well as quality evidence as a background and basis for discussion of results