Factors associated with ankle injuries. Preventive measures

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Athletic footwear significantly diminishes the precise sense of foot position in humans.
• This impaired proprioception is linked to a high incidence of ankle sprains in athletes wearing shoes.
• Existing protective measures like taping and rigid devices have questionable efficacy due to study limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of footwear in altering foot position sense.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of taping and bracing in preventing ankle sprains.
• To propose optimal footwear solutions for reducing ankle injuries in athletes.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on footwear, proprioception, and ankle sprains.
• Analysis of the mechanisms by which footwear and protective devices affect foot position awareness.
• Assessment of the limitations and controls in studies evaluating ankle protection devices.

Main Results:

• Athletic footwear distorts the sense of foot position, contributing to ankle sprains.
• Evidence supporting taping and bracing for ankle sprain prevention is inconclusive due to flawed study designs.
• Any protective effect from these devices may stem from partially restoring lost foot position awareness rather than providing support.

Conclusions:

• Taping and rigid devices may interfere with natural movement, potentially increasing injury risk elsewhere.
• Taping interferes less with movement compared to rigid devices.
• Developing advanced footwear that maximizes tactile sensitivity is the most promising strategy to reduce ankle sprains in shod athletes.