Effect of an ankle stabilizing orthosis on selected ankle kinematics during walking

This study evaluated the stability effects of an ankle stabilizing orthosis on unstable ankles on selected three-dimensional ankle kinematics during two speeds (2.5 and 4.5 mph) of treadmill walking. Eleven subjects with one unstable ankle walked at these two treadmill speeds with and without the ankle stabilizing orthosis. The angular excursions and velocities of the ankle in the sagittal and frontal planes were recorded with a three-dimensional ProReflex Imaging System and analyzed with two-way repeated-measure ANOVA and paired t test. It was found that the ankle stabilizing orthosis provided significant stability control in the angular excursions of plantarflexion, and it did not affect the maximum velocity of plantarflexion and the walking speed during the treadmill walking. As the speed increased, the angular excursions and the maximum angular velocities in the sagittal and frontal planes increased significantly.