THE EFFECT OF ANKLE STABILIZERS ON ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE - A RANDOMIZED PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

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.