Comparison of Anterior Ankle Translation With and Without Ankle Braces

Background Lateral ankle sprains are a common musculoskeletal injury. Ankle braces are frequently used to prevent ankle injuries. Aim The purpose of this study was to examine the anterior translation of the talocrural joint of 2 ankle braces relative to a control. Methods Ankle mobility was assessed with the Mobil-Aider arthrometer in 3 conditions: TayCo ankle brace, Aircast ankle brace, and control. Three measures were recorded for each condition. Results Thirty participants (9 male and 21 female patients) participated. Friedman’s analysis of variance found significant between-group differences for the trial with the largest translation. Wilcoxon signed-ranks post hoc testing found significant between-group differences between the control and TayCo (P < .001) and the control and Aircast conditions (P < .001). Post hoc power analysis revealed a Kendall’s W of 0.804. Clinical application The TayCo brace is unique in that it is worn on the outside of the athletic shoe, whereas the Aircast is composed of lateral constraints worn inside the shoe. Both braces provided significant constraint over anterior talus translation when compared to control. The TayCo brace (51%-52% of control) was also significantly better than the Aircast (58%-59% of control) with less anterior translation permitted. This may be instrumental in preventing ankle injuries. Level of Evidence: 2b