Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
Published on: September 18, 2020
Prophylactic ankle braces and star excursion balance measures in healthy volunteers
Lisa Hardy1, Kellie Huxel, Jody Brucker
1Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA. lisa.hardy@wmich.edu
Context:
The effects of prophylactic ankle braces on lower extremity functional performance in healthy participants have not been studied extensively.
Objective:
To determine if prophylactic ankle braces affected multidirectional reach distances during a test of dynamic balance.
Design:
Crossover.
Setting:
Laboratory.
Patients Or Other Participants:
Thirty-six healthy, physically active volunteers (18 men, 18 women; age = 23.6 +/- 2.7 years, height = 173.8 +/- 9.3 cm, mass = 74.4 +/- 12.7 kg, reach-leg length = 91.9 +/- 5.1 cm).
Intervention(S):
Volunteers performed balance testing in 3 conditions: unbraced, while wearing a semirigid ankle brace, and while wearing a lace-up ankle brace.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
We used the Star Excursion Balance Test, calculating the mean of 3 attempts in 8 directions (anterior, anterior-medial, medial, posterior-medial, posterior, posterior-lateral, lateral, and anterior-lateral), normalized by the participant's reach-leg length. Data were collected after 6 practice attempts for each of the conditions according to a balanced Latin square.
Results:
Bracing condition had no effect (P > .05) on any of the Star Excursion Balance Test directional measures. The largest mean difference due to bracing was 2.5% between the lace-up brace condition and the control in the posterior reach direction. This indicates that the actual reach differences due to bracing were less than 5.08 cm (2 inches) in length.
Conclusions:
Clinicians can be confident that the prophylactic use of ankle braces does not disrupt lower extremity dynamic balance during a reaching task in healthy participants.
