Applicability of the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool in Elite Volleyball Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Background: The ease of administration of the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) could represent a methodology for periodically evaluating athletes, preventing ankle instability injuries. This study aimed to achieve three objectives: (a) to evaluate the applicability of the CAIT scale in volle...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Flavia Figlioli, Giacomo Belmonte, Valerio Giustino, Alberto Canzone, Elena Ferrantello, Marco Gervasi, Eneko Fernández-Peña, Giuseppe Battaglia, Antonino Bianco, Antonino Patti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-03-01
Series:Sports
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/3/71
Description
Summary:Background: The ease of administration of the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) could represent a methodology for periodically evaluating athletes, preventing ankle instability injuries. This study aimed to achieve three objectives: (a) to evaluate the applicability of the CAIT scale in volleyball; (b) to explore whether ankle instability presents a greater risk in lower-level volleyball categories and whether elite athletes demonstrate an ability to mitigate this risk; and (c) to identify potential predictors of ankle instability. Methods: Eighty female volleyball players participated in this cross-sectional observational study. The CAIT was administered to evaluate the athletes belonging to some teams in Series A, B, and C. Results: The Spearman’s ranks correlation coefficient showed significant correlations between CAIT items. Additionally, the Cronbach’s α showed a high internal consistency. Our results showed a significant difference between athletes who reported pain and those who did not (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The multiple linear regression model analysis showed that pain was a predictor of ankle instability (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the CAIT can be used to evaluate ankle stability in volleyball players. This scale could represent a valuable tool for implementing specific intervention programs to prevent ankle injuries in athletes.
ISSN:2075-4663