title: Clinician Recommendations and Perceptions of Factors Associated With Ankle Brace Use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little information is available regarding the ankle braces orthopaedic sports medicine clinicians recommend or clinicians' concerns that may influence their decisions to recommend use of an ankle brace.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  (1) Clinicians most frequently recommend lace-up braces with straps. (2) Clinicians who are concerned about potential adverse side effects from ankle brace use are less likely to recommend an ankle brace to prevent ankle sprain injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive survey study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level 3.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were sent via e-mail to 1000 randomly selected members of the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and 1000 randomly selected members of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). A total of 377 individuals responded to the survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lace-up braces, specifically lace-up braces with straps, were the most frequently recommended type of ankle brace. Regression analyses indicated that the only perceived adverse side effect significantly related to frequency of ankle brace recommendation was a potential negative influence on ankle strength.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our sample, clinicians recommend lace-up ankle braces with straps most frequently to prevent ankle sprain injuries. Clinicians who are concerned about weakness of ankle musculature may be less likely to recommend use of an ankle brace.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians may effectively reduce the number of ankle sprain injuries by recommending an ankle brace use after an initial ankle sprain injury.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Denton
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waldhelm
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Jonathon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hacke
authors.affiliation: Program in Human Movement Science, Division of Physical Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gross
keywords: ankle bracing; ankle sprain; clinician recommendation; prevention