CONTEXT: Hopping exercises are recommended as a functional training tool to prevent lower limb injury, but their effects on lower extremity biomechanics in those with chronic ankle instability (CAI) are unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine if jump-landing biomechanics change after a hop-stabilization intervention. DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Research laboratory. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight male collegiate basketball players with CAI were divided into 2 groups: hop-training group (age 22.78 +/- 3.09 years, mass 82.59 +/- 9.51 kg, height 187.96 +/- 7.93 cm) and control group (age 22.57 +/- 2.76 years, mass 78.35 +/- 7.02 kg, height 185.69 +/- 7.28 cm). INTERVENTION(S): A 6-week supervised hop-stabilization training program that consisted of 18 training sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Lower extremity kinetics and kinematics during a jump-landing task and self-reported function were assessed before and after the 6-week training program. RESULTS: The hop-stabilization program resulted in improved self-reported function (p < 0.05), larger sagittal-plane hip- and knee-flexion angles, and greater ankle dorsiflexion (p < 0.05) relative to the control group. Reduced frontal-plane joint angles at the hip, knee, and ankle as well as decreased ground reaction forces and a longer time to peak ground reaction forces were observed in the hopping group compared with the control group after the intervention (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The 6-week hop-stabilization training program altered jump-landing biomechanics in male collegiate basketball players with CAI. These results may provide a potential mechanistic explanation for improvements in patient-reported outcomes and reductions in injury risk after ankle-sprain rehabilitation programs that incorporate hop-stabilization exercises.

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