Male collegiate soccer athletes with severe ankle laxity display increased knee abduction during side-cutting tasks compared to those with only perceived ankle instability

This study aimed to examine lower limb kinematics during a side-cutting task in male collegiate soccer athletes with severe ankle laxity. Forty-seven participants with a history of ankle sprains and perceived ankle instability were categorized into non-laxity (n = 17), laxity (n = 19), and severe laxity (n = 11) groups using stress radiography tests. Three-dimensional kinematic data during the stance phase of a 45° side-cutting task were analysed. The frontal plane kinematics of the knee significantly differed between the three groups (p 0.05). The severe laxity group exhibited a greater abduction angle than the non-laxity group (p 0.05). The horizontal and sagittal plane kinematics of the rearfoot differed between the three groups during the end of the stance phase (p 0.05). Our data suggest that collegiate soccer athletes with both perceived ankle instability and severe ankle laxity exhibit greater knee abduction movement during a 45° side-cutting task compared to those with only perceived ankle instability.