Abstract
The rehabilitative phase of ankle injury management often involves the use of an ankle brace. The aim of this study was to ascertain the effects of such braces on the forces through the foot and the timing of peak loads in the gait cycle, in the recovering ankle and the uninjured ankle, in order to understand better the mechanism by which such braces enhance ankle stability.
Twenty four adults with recurrent ankle injuries and an aspiration to return to sporting activity were studied. Each was in the rehabilitation phase of recovery from ankle injury. Controls were 17 adults who regularly took part in sporting activity, without ankle injury. Assessment of peak force in three orthogonal axes (% body weight) during walking was carried out using the Kistler foot plate; the times taken to reach the maxima were recorded. Subjects were assessed in bare feet, training shoes and wearing one of two types of commonly available stirrup-type ankle braces.
Results showed that the ankle braces did not alter peak loads compared to training shoes alone (one-way analysis of variance, p< 0.05) and were consistent in both the injured and un-injured subjects. There were no significant differences between the two braces tested (p< 0.05). The time to reach peak load was not significantly different between the braced or non-braced ankles in either the injured or control groups.
Conclusions are that stirrup type ankle braces do not alter the peak forces through the foot during walking. The effectiveness of stirrup-type ankle braces appears not to depend on their modification of medial forces during gait.
These abstracts were prepared by Squadron Leader G. Pathak FRCS (Trauma & Orth). Correspondence should be addressed to him at Royal Hospital Haslar, Gosport, Hampshire PO12 2AA.
