The effects of open and closed kinetic chain exercises on the static and dynamic balance of the ankle joints in young healthy women.

The study included only 20 healthy women in their early 20s, so it does not show what happens in older adults, people with ankle problems, or people who fall. It compared two active exercise groups and had no untreated control group, so it cannot show that exercise improved balance compared with doing nothing. The paper does not report blinding of participants or assessors, and it does not report dropouts. Outcomes were platform sway and stability limits, not walking, falls, pain, function, or activities of daily living. The exercises were performed for four weeks, so it does not establish longer-term effects.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and said no funding was used.

Do not read this as proof that closed-chain ankle exercises are better than open-chain exercises for patients or for fall prevention. The study had 20 healthy young women, no untreated control, and only reported significant differences in laboratory sway and stability limits.