title: Biomechanical comparison of 3 ankle braces with and without free rotation in the sagittal plane.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various 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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Crossover study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Movement Analysis Laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen 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).
  
  
  METHODS
  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).
  
  
  METHODS
  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).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All 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.
authors.affiliation: Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health Care, Krefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfuth
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001915:Braces; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation; D019415:Torque
keywords: ankle stabilization; ankle–foot complex; inversion; joint motion
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