The effect of prophylactic ankle support during simulated soccer activity

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Ankle injuries are prevalent in soccer, often leading to long-term functional deficits.
• Prophylactic ankle support is believed to mitigate injury risk, but its efficacy in soccer remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of ankle tape and braces on range of motion (ROM) and proprioception during a soccer-specific protocol.
• To compare the effectiveness of tape versus brace support in a soccer context.

Main Methods:

• A crossover study design involving eight healthy male subjects.
• Plantarflexion (PF) ROM, inversion (INV) ROM, and joint-position sense were measured under tape, brace, and control conditions.
• Measurements were taken during a 90-minute soccer-specific aerobic field test (SAFT90) at various time points.

Main Results:

• Ankle support (tape and brace) initially decreased active ROM in PF and INV, with tape showing greater initial restriction than the brace.
• The restrictive effects of tape diminished by 15 minutes, becoming comparable to no support, while the brace retained some effect up to 45 minutes.
• Prophylactic support initially enhanced non-weight-bearing joint-position sense (NWBJPS), but tape lost this benefit by 15 minutes, whereas the brace maintained it.

Conclusions:

• The clinical utility of ankle prophylactic support for restricting ROM and enhancing proprioception in soccer is limited due to time-dependent effectiveness.
• The choice between tape and brace should consider the specific demands and duration of soccer activities.