A Cross-Sectional comparison of proprioception, muscle strength, and athletic performance in adolescent athletes with and without dynamic balance deficits

This cross-sectional study compared ankle proprioception, isometric hip and ankle muscle strength, and athletic performance between adolescent athletes with and without dynamic balance deficits. The study involved 80 adolescent athletes (40 boys and 40 girls), with 40 participants exhibiting dynamic balance deficits and 40 with normal dynamic balance, based on the Y-Balance test. Proprioception was evaluated through ankle dorsiflexion reconstruction, muscle strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer, and athletic performance was assessed via the figure-of-eight hop test. The results revealed that athletes with dynamic balance deficits had greater angle reconstruction errors (P = 0.001), reduced hip extensor strength (P = 0.005), and lower ankle evertor strength (P = 0.013) compared to those with normal balance. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in hip abductor strength (P = 0.319), ankle invertor strength (P = 0.695), and athletic performance (P = 0.292). Adolescent athletes with dynamic balance deficits show impairments in ankle proprioception and in hip extensor and ankle evertor strength. Targeted neuromuscular training and early screening using the Y-Balance test may help address these deficits.