BACKGROUND: Both proprioceptive training and modified Brostrom-Gould surgery can improve ankle stability in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI), but further biomechanical evaluation is necessary to determine the optimal treatment. PURPOSES: To compare the clinical outcomes and biomechanical changes after proprioceptive training versus modified Brostrom-Gould surgery in patients with CAI. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: A total of 56 patients with CAI were assigned randomly to either a nonoperative group (n = 28) who underwent 3 months of proprioceptive training or an operative group (n = 28) who underwent modified Brostrom-Gould surgery. Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) scores, foot pressure during walking, center of pressure (COP) velocity, and time for the COP to reach the balance boundary (time to boundary (TTB)) during single-leg standing were collected before the intervention (baseline) and at 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare group differences and changes over time. RESULTS: The nonoperative group had significant improvements from baseline in FAAM-Sports score and significantly decreased TTB in both the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions at all timepoints, while the operative group showed significant improvements only in FAAM-Sports scores and TTB and COP velocity in the anterior-posterior direction at 6 and 12 months postintervention. During walking, the nonoperative group had significantly increased peak force under the medial foot at 3 months, which dropped back to baseline levels at 12 months, while the operative group had significantly increased peak force under the medial midfoot and hindfoot that persisted until 12 months (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, both proprioceptive training and modified Brostrom-Gould surgery led to improved subjective functional scores, foot pressure distribution during walking, and postural stability during standing for patients with CAI but with different biomechanical patterns. Proprioceptive training led to an earlier recovery of sports function and better medial-lateral stability recovery, while surgery provided more persistent results. REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900023999 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry).

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