Validity and Responsiveness of the Sway Mobile Balance Application in Patients Recovering from Ankle Sprain

Crowell M, Thomasma E, Miller E, Brindle R, Roach M, Goss D, Pitt W

Abstract accepted as a platform presentation for the 2024 American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting

Static balance is often impaired in patients after ankle sprains. The ability to identify balance control impairments is dependent on an effective balance assessment tool. The Sway Balance Mobile Application (Sway Medical, Tulsa, OK) uses a smart phone or tablet to assess static balance and shows promise as an accessible method to quantify changes in balance control after injury. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and responsiveness of the Sway Balance Mobile Application (SWAY) to assess balance control after an acute ankle sprain. We hypothesized the application could differentiate individuals with an ankle sprain from healthy controls, measure improvements in balance control over time, and demonstrate strong correlation with the laboratory assessments of static balance control.

The SWAY mBESS is a valid and responsive clinical tool for evaluating static balance. The tool demonstrated discriminant validity detecting balance differences between a healthy and injured group, convergent validity demonstrating moderate to good correlation with established laboratory measures, and responsiveness to changes in static balance in military Cadets during recovery from an acute ankle sprain.