Functional Instability Following Lateral Ankle Sprain

Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is an extremely common athletic injury. Despite extensive clinical and basic science research, the recurrence rate remains high. Functional instability (FI) following LAS is hypothesised to predispose individuals to reinjury because of neuromuscular deficits which result following injury. This paper provides an overview of the potential causes of FI which may manifest themselves clinically. The theoretical explanations of FI are discussed, as are implications for assessment and treatment of FI following LAS.