Impacts of obstacle-crossing during walking on postural control strategies in individuals with functional ankle instability

Compared to healthy individuals, those with FAI adapt movement patterns through proximal compensation strategies, characterized by compensatory trunk lateral flexion. Increased obstacle height exacerbates instability during landing, particularly at higher heights, where individuals with FAI demonstrate significantly diminished lateral stability. These findings emphasize the critical influence of FAI on balance control and adaptive postural control strategies during obstacle-crossing.