EFFECT OF ANKLE ORTHOSES ON FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH RECURRENT LATERAL ANKLE SPRAINS

Ankle orthoses are commonly used for protection against initial ankle sprain injuries and for protection against reinjury. The purpose of th is study was to compare the effects of the DonJoy(R) Ankle ligament Pr otector (ALP) and the Aircast(R) Sport-Stirrup(TM) (AS) on the functio nal performance tasks of a 40-meter sprint, a figure-of-eight run, and standing vertical jump. Subjects were 14 males and nine females who r eported a history of two or more lateral ankle sprains of the same ank le and no sprains of the contralateral ankle. Each subject performed a ll functional tasks on the first test day with both ankles unbraced an d with the recurrently sprained ankle braced with one of the two ortho ses. Each subject returned for testing on a second day and performed a ll tasks with both ankles unbraced and with the other orthosis on the recurrently sprained ankle. Subjects also rated the orthoses for comfo rt and support Analysis of variance indicated that braced data were no t significantly different than unbraced data and that data for the two orthoses did not differ: significantly for any of the functional perf ormance tasks. Seventy-four percent of the subjects reported the AS wa s more comfortable than the ALP, and 61% of the subjects indicated tha t the AS provided more support than the ALP. Neither orthosis had an e ffect on functional performance. The results may assist clinicians in selecting either of these orthoses for use in protection against ankle sprain injury.