D. Pienkowski et al., THE EFFECT OF ANKLE STABILIZERS ON ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE - A RANDOMIZED PROSPECTIVE-STUDY, American journal of sports medicine, 23(6), 1995, pp. 757-762
The ankle is the site of more than one third of all injuries that occu
r to male basketball players. Although ankle bracing may prevent injur
y, many players believe that braces restrict athletic performance. Thi
s belief discourages use of braces and obviates the injury protection
that bracing provides. The objectives of this study were to 1) determi
ne whether athletic performance (in four basketball-related activities
) was affected by three ankle brace designs (Universal, Kallassy, and
Air-Stirrup ankle training brace), 2) determine whether specific brace
s are better for specific athletic activities, and 3) determine whethe
r athletic performance changes with brace use. Twelve high school bask
etball players wore each brace type while vertical jumping, standing l
ong jumping, cone running, and 18.3-meter shuttle running at two test
times (initially and after 1 week of acclimation). Our data showed tha
t these braces had no significant effects on athletic performance. No
brace affected athletic performance in one specific activity more than
another, and athletic performance did not change with brace use. We c
oncluded that prophylactic ankle bracing does not inhibit athletic per
formance.