ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Ankle taping (AT) is effective in preventing ankle sprain injuries in most common sports and is employed in rehabilitation and prevention sports. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of AT to restricting excessive frontal plane ankle movements in semi-professional basketball players throughout the training session. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional study was performed at the Universidad Europea de Madrid. METHODS: Forty male and female semi-professional basketball players were divided into two groups. The ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and interlimb asymmetries in a weight-bearing lunge position were evaluated at four time points: 1) with no tape, 2) before practice, at 30 min of practice, and 3) immediately after practice. RESULTS: In male basketball players, no differences were observed in the right and left ankles between the baseline and 30 min and between baseline and 90 min of assessment. In female athletes, significant differences were reported between baseline and pre-training assessments for the right ankle and also significant differences between baseline and 90 min in both ankles. CONCLUSIONS: Ankle taping effectively decreased the ankle dorsiflexion ROM in male and female basketball players immediately after application. However, ROM restriction was very low after 30 and 90 min, as assessed in a single basketball practice. Therefore, the classic taping method should be revised to develop new prophylactic approaches, such as the implementation of semi-rigid bracing techniques or the addition of active stripes during training or game pauses.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Current research supports the fact that prophylactic ankle taping (AT) is effective in preventing ankle injuries in amateur and elite sports athletes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of AT on balance, knee valgus during drop jump and single-leg countermovement jump (SL-CMJ) landings, and ankle range of motion (ROM) restriction in healthy participants. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. METHODS: Participants: Thirty-nine healthy individuals participated in this study and performed the movements under two conditions (with and without tape). Outcome measurements: ankle ROM, balance, SL-CMJ height, flight time, ground time, and knee valgus. Before any intervention, a random process was developed with a 1:1 allocation ratio, and the participants were assigned to groups A (tape-no tape) and B (no tape-tape). RESULTS: Significant differences between tape and no-tape moments were observed for drop jump knee valgus flexion (P = 0.007), with an increase in knee valgus in participants with ankle taping. Similarly, the Y-balance testshowed a significant decrease in all variables (P = 0.001 and), ankle dorsiflexion (P = 0.001) in participants with ankle taping. CONCLUSIONS: AT is effective for immediate ankle ROM restriction. However, an increase in knee valgus during drop jump task and a decrease in lower limb balance were observed during drop jump task. Based on these results, it can be concluded that AT application in healthy individuals should not be recommended as it results in increase in injury risk factors.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide. However, the exact mechanisms linking chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with depression and anxiety have not been identified. OBJECTIVES: To compare self-reported depression and anxiety among patients diagnosed with COPD in relation to healthy controls. DESIGN AND SETTING: Case control study at a public hospital institution in Spain. METHODS: We designed a case-control study. Patients were recruited using a consecutive sampling method from a single institution. Two groups were created: COPD and healthy controls. Data on medical history and demographic background were collected from the medical records. Self-reported depression levels were assessed using Beck’s depression inventory (BDI). Self-reported anxiety was measured using the State-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). RESULTS: Fifty-two patients with COPD and fifty healthy patients were included in this study. BDI scores were higher for COPD patients (10.23 ± 6.26) than in the control group (5.2 ± 6.56). STAI-state scores were higher for COPD patients (41.85 ± 12.55) than for controls (34.88 ± 9.25). STAI-trait scores were higher for COPD patients (41.42 ± 10.01) than for controls (34.62 ± 9.19). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that there were higher levels of depression and anxiety among COPD patients than among healthy controls.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Back pain is a normal symptom during pregnancy and is expected to become worse beyond the first three months after childbirth. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of wearing unstable shoes instead of conventional shoes, regarding pain intensity, low back mobility and stability, among women with lumbopelvic pain (LPP) during the postpartum period. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial conducted at a podiatry and physiotherapy clinical center. METHODS: A nine-week program of wearing either unstable shoes (A) or conventional shoes (B) was implemented. The following outcomes were measured in three assessments: pain intensity, using a visual analogue scale (VAS); low-back mobility, using a modified Schober test; and stability, using a pressure platform. RESULTS: The lateral stability speed, anterior stability speed and anterior center of pressure (COP) showed significant (P < 0.05) decreases in the unstable shoes group after nine weeks, in relation to the conventional group. Intra-group measurements showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in VAS between the second and third assessments and between the first and third assessments in both groups. Intra-group evaluations also showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in the lateral stability speed and anterior stability speed. CONCLUSIONS: Unstable shoes were effective in decreasing the pain intensity at five and nine weeks in women with postpartum LPP. In addition, their use produced decreases in lateral stability speed, anterior stability speed and anterior COP at nine weeks.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Frailty is a condition that can increase the risk of falls. In addition, foot disorders can negatively influence elderly people, thus affecting their condition of frailty. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether foot pain can influence a greater degree of frailty. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at the University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. METHODS: A sample older than 60 years (n = 52), including 26 healthy subjects and 26 foot pain patients, was recruited. Frailty disability was measured using the 5-Frailty scale and the Edmonton Frailty scale (EFS). RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in the total EFS score and in most of its subscales, according to the Mann-Whitney U test (P < 0.05). In addition, foot pain patients presented worse scores (higher 5-Frailty scores) than did healthy patients, regarding matched-paired subjects (lower EFS scores). With regard to the rest of the measurements, there were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05). The highest scores (P < 0.001) were for fatigue on the 5-Frailty scale and the EFS, and for the subscale of independence function in EFS. CONCLUSIONS: These elderly patients presented impairment relating to ambulation and total 5-Frailty score, which seemed to be linked to the presence of frailty syndrome and foot disorders.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Lifestyle is strongly involved in the pathogenesis and progression of non-communicable diseases, and has a great impact on quality of life. The goal of the present study was to analyze the lifestyle and body composition (BC) of young university students during the pandemic, and their relationship with health-related quality of life (HrQoL). DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational cross-sectional study conducted in the Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain. METHODS: A total sample of 56 healthy university students was recruited. Activity, sitting time, adherence to Mediterranean diet and BC were measured. RESULTS: Regarding BC, only 5% and 10.7% of the subjects had health risk values for waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio, respectively. The mean daily sitting-time was 8.26 hours, while 19.64% of the subjects spent . 10 hours per day sitting. 92.86% of the subjects complied with the World Health Organization 2020 physical activity recommendations. The mean PREDIMED score was 7.41, while 51.8% of the subjects had low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Regarding HrQoL, 22 subjects (39.2%) and 26 subjects (46.4%) were in the lowest quintile of physical component summary and mental component summary, respectively, according to the reference values for their age range. There was a negative correlation between physical function and sitting time (r = -0.38). CONCLUSIONS: There were high levels of sedentary behavior and low HrQoL values, with a negative moderate correlation between these variables. The findings from the present study especially highlight the importance of implementing public health programs targeting reduction of sitting time among university students.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Leg length discrepancy (LLD) may play a key role in exercise biomechanics. Although the Podoprint platform has been used in dynamic pressure studies, there are no data regarding the reliability and repeatability of dynamic measurements under simulated LLD conditions. OBJECTIVES: To determine the intra and intersession repeatability and reliability of dynamic parameters of the Podoprint pressure platform under simulated LLD conditions. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational cross-sectional study at a public university. METHODS: Thirty-seven healthy volunteers participated in this study. LLD was simulated using ethyl vinyl acetate plantar lifts with heights of 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm located under the right shoe of each volunteer. The procedure was performed to capture the dynamic parameters of each participant under five different simulated LLD conditions. Stance time, mean pressure and peak pressure measurements were registered in three trials for each foot and each LLD level. Data were collected during two separate testing sessions, in order to establish intrasession and intersession reliability. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intrasession reliability ranged from 0.775 to 0.983 in the first session and from 0.860 to 0.985 in the second session. The ICCs for intersession reliability ranged from 0.909 to 0.990. Bland-Altman plots showed absence of systematic measurement errors. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study indicate that the Podoprint platform is a reliable system for assessing dynamic parameters under simulated LLD conditions. Future studies should evaluate plantar pressures under LLD conditions, in association with exercise, biomechanics and musculoskeletal disorders.

RESUMO A hiperlaxia ligamentosa generalizada (HLG) demonstrou predispor um indivíduo a várias condições ortopédicas. Pouco se sabe sobre como a HLG afeta a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde do pé das pessoas. Este estudo analisa uma amostra de pessoas com HLG e pessoas sem HLG com valores de referência normalizados das pontuações coletadas no que diz respeito ao Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FSHQ). Um total de 100 informantes com média de idade de 22,69 ± 3,78 anos que eram atendidos em um centro de saúde foi classificado como HLG (n = 50) ou não HLG (n = 50). A HLG foi determinada com os pacientes com e sem HLG usando a ferramenta Beighton e os escores na FHSQ foram comparados. O grupo de controle registrou pontuações mais altas na primeira seção para a dor no pé, função do pé e saúde geral do pé, e menores pontuações no calçado. Na segunda seção obtiveram maiores escores em capacidade social e menores escores em atividade física, vigor e saúde geral. As diferenças entre os dois grupos foram avaliadas por meio de um teste t para amostras independentes, mostrando significância estatística (P<0,001). Este estudo detectou diferenças mensuráveis de associação entre HLG (pontuação de Beighton≥4) com deterioração da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde dos pés.

SUMMARY Generalized ligamentous hyperlaxity (GLH) has been shown to predispose an individual to a number of orthopaedic conditions. Little is known about how GLH affects people’ foot health-related quality of life. This study analyses a sample of people with GLH and people without GLH with normalised reference values of the scores collected with regard to using the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FSHQ). A total of 100 respondents with mean age of 22.69 ± 3.78 years old, who attended a health centre were classified as GLH (n = 50) or non-GLH (n = 50). The GLH was determined of the patients with and without GLH using assessment with Beighton tool and the scores on the FHSQ were compared. The control group recorded higher scores in the First Section for foot pain, foot function and general foot health, and lower scores in footwear. In the Second Section, they obtained higher scores in social capacity and lower scores in physical activity, vigour and general health. Differences between the two groups were evaluated through a t-test for independent samples, showing statistical significance (P<0.001). This study has detected measurable differences of association between GLH (Beighton score ≥4) with impaired quality of life related to foot health.