What happened?
A 25-year-old woman with recurrent ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability presented with pain, swelling and a sense of giving way despite previous conservative care. Xsens gait analysis was incorporated into a multifaceted physiotherapy assessment.
Clinical findings
- Recurrent ankle sprains, ligament laxity, swelling and a high longitudinal arch in both feet.
- Baseline pain was 7/10, Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool score 15/30 and FAOS 63%.
- Baseline gait speed was 0.79 m/s, with reduced ankle range and muscle strength.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- A four-week programme combined ankle stretching and joint mobilisation with core, hip and ankle strengthening.
- Dynamic balance, proprioceptive drills, foot-intrinsic muscle exercises and perturbation training were progressed; Xsens was used to assess gait parameters.
Reported outcomes
- Pain decreased from 7/10 to 1/10; CAIT improved from 15/30 to 28/30 and FAOS from 63% to 89%.
- Gait speed increased from 0.79 to 0.90 m/s and measured walking distance from 14.23 to 15 metres.
Clinical lessons to consider
- Chronic ankle instability assessment should include recurrent injury history, ligament testing, strength, balance and patient-reported function.
- Gait analysis can add objective movement information but should complement, not replace, clinical assessment.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- Single case with short-term follow-up; recurrence and longer-term benefit were not established.
- The multimodal programme does not isolate the effect of Xsens analysis or any single exercise component.
Original source
Nikita Gangwani, Deepali S. Patil, Gurjeet Kaur. “Utilising Xsens Gait Analysis to Improve Functional Outcomes in Chronic Ankle Instability: A Multifaceted Physiotherapy Approach.” Cureus, 2024. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.68880
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.