The Effects of Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Exercises Added to Postural Stabilization Training in Amateur Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability

Summary

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common condition after lateral ankle sprain. CAI is characterized by mechanical and/or functional instability, or recurrent episodes of "giving way," persisting for at least 12 months after the initial injury, and is associated with limitations in activity and and participation. Contemporary theoretical models emphasize that CAI should not be explained solely by biomechanical or neuromuscular deficits, but rather as a dynamic condition shaped by the interaction of motor-behavioral, sensory-perceptual, psychological, and environmental factors.

Postural stabilization training is commonly used to improve balance and neuromuscular control in individuals with CAI. However, individuals with CAI may show increased reliance on visual information and altered visual-vestibular sensory reweighting during postural control tasks. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) contributes to gaze stability and visual clarity during head movements and may also be related to neurocognitive processes such as attention and processing speed. This study is designed as a randomized controlled, prospective, parallel-group, pretest-posttest design trial to investigate whether VOR exercises added to postural stabilization training improve visuo-motor reaction performance, fear avoidance behavior related to sports injuries and kinesiophobia in amateur athletes with CAI.

Conditions

• Ankle Sprain
• Ankle Sprain Strain
• Ankle Inversion Sprain

Interventions

OTHER

Postural Stabilization Training

Participants in this group will receive ankle joint mobilization followed by a structured postural stabilization training program. The program will include single-leg stance progression, hop stabilization tasks and number-sequence hop tasks. Exercises will be progressed according to the participant's ability to complete each task without errors. Ankle joint mobilization will include talocrural anteroposterior mobilization and distal fibular mobilization with movement, applied before the exercise session for approximately 5 minutes. The total session will last approximately 45 minutes and will be performed 3 times per week for 6 weeks.

OTHER

Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Exercise in addition to Postural Stabilization Training

Participants in this group will receive the same ankle joint mobilization and postural stabilization training program as the Postural Stabilization Training Group. In addition, vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) exercises involving fixation on a visual target during head movements will be implemented. VOR exercises will be structured to progressively increase postural demands and will include sitting, standing, walking, and single-leg stance positions. The total session will last approximately 45 minutes and will be performed 3 times per week for 6 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bahçeşehir University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş, PT, PhD (c) · Bahçeşehir University

• Pelin Pişirici, PT, PhD · Bahçeşehir University

• Gamze Kılıç, PT, PhD · Istanbul Nisantasi University

• Barış Kocaoğlu Kocaoğlu, MD · Acibadem University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-07-25

Primary Completion

2027-07-25

Completion

2027-07-25

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations