ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2025
Effects and dosage of exercise therapy on functional outcomes in chronic ankle instability: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effects of Tai Chi training on lower-limb coordination pattern and variability during walking in patients with functional ankle instability: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Contralateral Balance Training Improves Postural Control and Functional Recovery After Arthroscopic Anterior Talofibular Ligament Repair: A Prospective, Randomized, Single-Blind Trial.Sports medicine - open · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the effects of exercise therapy on patient-oriented function among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and analyze the influence of exercise dosage characteristics on these outcomes.
methodsLiterature searches were conducted in multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCO (MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus), Physiotherapy Evidence Database, CNKI, WANFANG, and VIP, from the earliest available time until May 22, 2025. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias analysis were conducted using RevMan 5.3.0 and Stata 14.0 software. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach was applied to evaluate the quality of evidence. Main outcomes were assessed using the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Activities of Daily Living (FAAM-A), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Sports (FAAM-S), Foot and Ankle Disability Index-Activities of Daily Living (FADI-A), and Foot and Ankle Disability Index-Sports (FADI-S).
resultsTwenty-six randomized controlled trials (1,032 participants) were included. Exercise therapy significantly improved patient-oriented function compared to non-trial intervention control group, as measured by CAIT (14 studies, MD = 4.59, 95% CI: 4.16-5.03, p < 0.001, I²=45.5%), FAAM-A (13 studies, MD = 7.71, 95% CI: 6.36-9.05, p < 0.001, I²=42.5%), FAAM-S (14 studies, MD = 11.86, 95% CI: 7.86-15.85, p < 0.001, I²=83.4%), FADI-A (2 studies, MD = 8.65, 95% CI: 3.11-14.19, p = 0.002, I²=0%), and FADI-S (3 studies, MD = 13.88, 95% CI: 11.97-15.78, p < 0.001, I²=0%). Subgroup analyses suggested that manual therapy, delivered 1-2 times per week for ≤ 4 weeks, yielded the greatest improvements in CAIT, whereas multimodal training, performed 1-2 times weekly over 5-8 weeks, demonstrated superior effects for FAAM-A and FAAM-S.
conclusionsThis meta-analysis provides very low to moderate certainty evidence that exercise therapy improves patient-oriented function among individuals with CAI compared to comparator controls. Manual therapy of shorter duration may optimize CAIT outcomes, while longer multimodal training programs appear most effective for enhancing FAAM-A and FAAM-S scores.
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