title: Effect of Prophylactic Ankle-Brace Use During a High School Competitive Basketball Season on Dynamic Postural Control.
abstract: Few studies have evaluated the long-term effects of prophylactic ankle-brace use during a sport season.
  
  
  
  To determine the effects of prophylactic ankle-brace use during a high school basketball season on dynamic postural control and functional tests.
  
  
  
  Prospective repeated-measures design.
  
  
  
  High school athletic facility.
  
  
  
  21 healthy high school basketball athletes (13 girls, 8 boys).
  
  
  
  The order of testing was randomized using the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) for posteromedial (PM), medial (M), and anteromedial (AM) directions and 3 functional tests (FT) consisting of the single-leg crossover hop, single-leg vertical jump, and the single-leg 6-m hop for time at pre-, mid-, and postseason. After pretesting, the ankle brace was worn on both limbs during the entire 16-wk competitive basketball season.
  
  
  
  SEBT for PM, M, and AM and 3 single-leg FTs.
  
  
  
  Dynamic postural control using the SEBT and the 3 FTs improved over time, notably from pretest to posttest. The left limb was different from the right limb during the single-leg vertical jump. Effect sizes were large for pretest to posttest for the 3 SEBT directions and 2 of the 3 FTs.
  
  
  
  The 16-wk basketball prophylactic ankle-brace intervention significantly improved dynamic postural control and single-limb FTs over time.
authors.affiliation: College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Crockett
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sandrey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056352:Athletes; D001490:Basketball; D001915:Braces; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012574:Schools