• J Athl Train · Sep 2014

    Randomized Controlled Trial

    Biomechanical comparison of 3 ankle braces with and without free rotation in the sagittal plane.

    • Martin Alfuth, Dieter Klein, Raphael Koch, and Dieter Rosenbaum.
    • Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health Care, Krefeld, Germany.
    • J Athl Train. 2014 Sep 1; 49 (5): 608-16.

    ContextVarious designs of braces including hinged and nonhinged models are used to provide external support of the ankle. Hinged ankle braces supposedly allow almost free dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the foot in the sagittal plane. It is unclear, however, whether this additional degree of freedom affects the stabilizing effect of the brace in the other planes of motion.ObjectiveTo investigate the dynamic and passive stabilizing effects of 3 ankle braces, 2 hinged models that provide free plantar flexion-dorsiflexion in the sagittal plane and 1 ankle brace without a hinge.DesignCrossover study.SettingUniversity Movement Analysis Laboratory.Patients Or Other ParticipantsSeventeen healthy volunteers (5 women, 12 men; age = 25.4 ± 4.8 years; height = 180.3 ± 6.5 cm; body mass = 75.5 ± 10.4 kg).Intervention(S)We dynamically induced foot inversion on a tilting platform and passively induced foot movements in 6 directions via a custom-built apparatus in 3 brace conditions and a control condition (no brace).Main Outcome Measure(S)Maximum inversion was determined dynamically using an in-shoe electrogoniometer. Passively induced maximal joint angles were measured using a torque and angle sensor. We analyzed differences among the 4 ankle-brace conditions (3 braces, 1 control) for each of the dependent variables with Friedman and post hoc tests (P < .05).ResultsEach ankle brace restricted dynamic foot-inversion movements on the tilting platform as compared with the control condition, whereas only the 2 hinged ankle braces differed from each other, with greater movement restriction caused by the Ankle X model. Passive foot inversion was reduced with all ankle braces. Passive plantar flexion was greater in the hinged models as compared with the nonhinged brace.ConclusionsAll ankle braces showed stabilizing effects against dynamic and passive foot inversion. Differences between the hinged braces and the nonhinged brace did not appear to be clinically relevant.

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