compare the effect of traditional and virtual reality training on subjective-sense of instability and balance in basketball-players with functional ankle instability: matched randomized clinical trial

Background: functional ankle instability (fai) is a common injury. traditional training improved the reported balance impairment and subjective sense of instability in athletes with fai.objective: this study aims to compare the effects of traditional and virtual reality training on a subjective sense of instability and balance in athlete with fai.material and methods: in this single-blinded matched randomized clinical trial design, fifty-four basketball players were randomly assigned in the virtual reality (n=27) or control (n=27) groups. all athletes performed 12 sessions wii exercises or traditional training in the virtual reality and the control group, respectively, for three days a week. to assess the subjective-sense of instability and balance, we used cumberland ankle instability tool (cait) and star excursion balance test (sebt), respectively. measures were taken at pre- and post-test and one month after training as a follow-up. the between-group comparisons were done by the analysis of covariance.results: at the pre-test, the cait score was 22.37, 22.04 in the control and virtual reality groups, respectively and at the post-test, these scores increased to 26.63, 27.26. the involved limb showed significant differences in posteromedial and posterior directions of the sebt and cait score in the post-test and in the posterior direction and cait score in the follow-up. the virtual reality group had better performance than the control group but the effect size is small (cohen’s d<0.2). conclusion: based on our results, both training protocols were effective in reducing the subjective-sense of instability and improved balance in athletes with fai. moreover, virtual reality training was very attractive for the participants.