1 Before you use it
What it is
Stand on one leg, hands on hips, other foot off the ground, and time it — eyes open, then eyes closed.
The eyes-closed version is where an ankle actually fails, and it is the one that gets skipped.
When to reach for it
Every ankle sprain, chronic ankle instability, sinus tarsi presentation, and patellar instability — at baseline, through rehabilitation, and before return to sport.
It is free, repeatable, and the patient can practise it at home, which makes it both a measure and a treatment.
2 Giving it
Scoring
Time in seconds, both legs, eyes open and eyes closed. Stop the clock when the hands leave the hips, the stance foot moves, or the raised foot touches down.
Usually capped at 30 or 45 seconds. Record the cap.
What it doesn’t measure
Dynamic control. Standing still is not the demand that injures ankles — progress to SEBT and then to reactive tasks.
3 Reading the score
Interpreting it
Side-to-side comparison is the useful reading. The uninjured leg is the control.
Is the change real?
Student trap. Only testing eyes open. Vision compensates for a proprioceptive deficit — close the eyes and the deficit appears.
Official source: null. We don't host the form.
This is a learning tool. It does not diagnose patients and does not replace your clinical educator.
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