title: The effectiveness of prophylactic ankle braces in reducing the incidence of acute ankle injuries in adolescent athletes: a critically appraised topic.
abstract: METHODS
  Ankle injuries constitute a large number of injuries sustained by adolescent athletes participating in high school athletics. Prophylactic ankle bracing may be an effective and efficient method to reduce the incidence of ankle injuries in adolescent athletes in the secondary-school setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Do prophylactic ankle braces reduce the incidence of acute ankle injuries in adolescent athletes?
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two of the three included studies reported that prophylactic ankle braces reduced the incidence of ankle injuries compared with no ankle bracing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is moderate evidence to support the use of prophylactic ankle braces in adolescent athletes, particularly those who participate in football and basketball, to reduce the incidence of acute ankle injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grade B evidence exists that prophylactic ankle braces reduce the incidence of acute ankle injuries in adolescent athletes.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Human Movement Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Kelley E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Farwell
authors.forename: Cameron J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Powden
authors.forename: Meaghan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Cailee W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hoch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001915:Braces; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans