Comparison of inversion restraint provided by ankle prophylactic devices before and after exercise

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Ankle taping's effectiveness for injury prevention is increasingly debated.
• Other ankle stabilization methods show greater promise for injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of adhesive taping, lace-up braces, and semirigid orthoses in limiting ankle inversion.
• To evaluate these prophylactic measures under dynamic walking and running conditions on a tilted surface.

Main Methods:

• Ten subjects walked and ran on a laterally tilted treadmill at 4 mph and 9 mph.
• Ankle inversion was measured before and after 20 minutes of vigorous exercise.
• Biomechanical analysis of rearfoot motion was used, with data analyzed via repeated measures ANOVA and Scheffé post hoc tests.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in maximum inversion angle were observed between ankle devices and the control condition.
• The semirigid orthosis provided the most inversion restraint, followed by the lace-up brace, tape, and control.
• Both the semirigid orthosis and lace-up brace significantly limited post-exercise inversion more than ankle taping.

Conclusions:

• Semirigid orthoses and lace-up braces are highly effective in restricting ankle inversion during dynamic loading.
• These braces offer superior post-exercise inversion limitation compared to traditional ankle taping.