Samenvatting

Background: Skateboarding is an upcoming sport that’s increasing in popularity. Being considered an “underground” sport without evidence based guidelines and injury prevention suggestions, a lack of research becomes evident. The majority of scientific studies looking at skateboarding, report numbers from hospital intakes and therefore only revolve about severe injuries. Investigation “in field” is missing and no study has yet managed to identify risk factors in the athletes themselves. It is known that dynamic balance is important in skateboarding as well as that many falls result from a loss of balance and ankle sprain form one of the most current injuries in the sport. Hence, this study aims to find out if functional ankle instability forms a risk factor for dynamic balance, which, if affected, poses a higher risk of falling.
Methods: Detection of functional ankle instability in active skateboarders (skating 1h+ per 2 weeks) through a demographic and IdFAI questionnaire and assessment of dynamic balance with the Y Balance Test.
Results: Athletes suffering from functional ankle instability show significant negative difference of dynamic balance during posterior reach movements with one leg compared to non-affected athletes. Also a link was found between higher scores of functional ankle instability and declining dynamic balance scores.
Conclusion: Functional ankle instability forms a risk factor for dynamic balance in defined posterior directions. In order to guarantee an effective skateboarding career, focus must be put on prevention of ankle instability and maintenance of good dynamic balance through training and supportive gear.