Hinged ankle braces do not alter knee mechanics during sidestep cutting

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Lateral ankle sprains are frequent in dynamic activities, often caused by ankle inversion.
• Ankle braces aim to limit inversion while preserving normal motion.
• The impact of ankle braces on knee mechanics and potential sex differences remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a hinged ankle brace on knee and ankle biomechanics during a 45° cutting movement.
• To determine if sex influences these biomechanical responses when using an ankle brace.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 3D motion capture system and force plates to collect kinematic and ground reaction force data.
• Ten males and eight females performed 45° cutting movements with and without a hinged ankle brace.
• Analyzed data using 2x2 repeated measures ANOVAs, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Main Results:

• Ankle bracing increased initial contact ankle dorsiflexion and vertical loading rate, while decreasing peak ankle inversion.
• Females demonstrated less initial contact and peak knee flexion compared to males.
• Ankle bracing did not alter the observed sex differences in knee mechanics.

Conclusions:

• Hinged ankle braces can reduce specific ankle injury risk factors during cutting movements without negatively affecting knee mechanics.
• Sex-based differences in knee flexion during cutting are not influenced by the use of ankle braces.